Three Lifetimes
by Garie June
Summary: A strange girl appears at Hao's doorstep on a dark night. He knows nothing of her besides the fake name she's given him, and her intense desire to learn shamanic techniques. And, he realizes quickly, there's something else about her that's slightly...off. Just a story I wrote for my own enjoyment. Hope you like it! HaoxOC
1. Chapter 1

**So, just a bit of a story that I've been writing for my own enjoyment. I lost my appreciation for Shaman King over the last year, but have recently begun to regain it. I have, of course, taken every oc from my previous stories and chucked them out the window. Every OC I plan to use in this story will be either new and improved versions of the old, or completely, shiny, squeaky new. So, enjoy. No guarantees that I'll even finish writing this, and forgive me if it's not historically accurate, but here's to a good show! Enjoy!**

* * *

_**First Life…**_

_Demon!_

She ran. She heard the screams and calls behind her, but she didn't pause to look back. Branches tore at her clothes, and her bare feet were cut mercilessly by jagged rocks, reopening the wounds that had just barely begun to close. She could barely see two feet in front of her, but she dared not stop. She would not feel safe until the loudest thoughts were not even as loud as a whisper.

_Kill her! _

_ She's a demon!_

_ Demon-child!_

_ Why?_ her mind cried. _Why do they hate me so? Why must my death be the only thing to satisfy their thirst?_

Her limbs burned like the hottest fires, and her throat was so dry she felt she might suffocate. Each step hurt more than the last, but the thoughts were still as loud as shouts. She wasn't safe yet.

She could no longer see. Her eyes were filled with their own darkness, more painful and consuming than any earthly darkness she had ever witnessed. Her steps were blind and unsure, and she knew that she would soon fall.

_No,_ she pleaded. _They're coming. They'll kill me. Please, please let me go on. Please do not let me fall._

And yet the time came, and her feet could no longer hold her. She felt her slow, bitter descent onto the ground below. As her eyes closed and the darkness fully engulfed her, she knew it was all over.

* * *

"I would like to thank you for seeing me, Hao-sama," the stout man said, bowing his head respectfully. "It's not often I get to sit in the presence of such a talented onmyoji, and one so young. The progress you've made is simply amazing."

Hao gave the man a soft smile. "I am pleased that you should think so, your highness. And to what do I owe this lovely business?"

As the nobleman explained himself, Hao sat still and listened with the utmost attention. Or so everyone around him was compelled to believe. The cat that sat near him, though, believed otherwise. Hao was paying attention, certainly, but not to the man in front of him. There was certainly something else on his mind.

"-As you can see," the nobleman finished. "I need your help immediately."

Hao sat silent for a second, then he looked to the row of students who sat in a line on the side of the large room. They all looked at Hao expectantly. He beckoned to the first two, and both youths immediately stood.

"Go to the front gate," he told his pupils. "I believe there is something out there that needs to be taken care of." The two of them walked out of the room, remembering to first bow to their master and to the nobleman. When they were gone, the onmyoji looked back at the now incredibly confused nobleman.

"Your case, although interesting, will not be impossible." Hao said with an air of ease. "And as immediately as you'd like me to take care of it, I'm afraid there is something more pressing at the moment. But you can rest assured that I will see to it to carry out this business as soon as I can."

The nobleman was ready to argue, until a shout was heard from outside the door. Another onmyoji, an older, but far less experience one than Hao, ran into the room.

"Two of your students just discovered a woman outside the gates. She's covered in blood, and quite close to dying."

"A woman?" Hao said, although his tone didn't change. If anything, Matamune noted, it had gained a slight hint of amusement.

"Well, a girl is more like it." The man replied in an unsure tone. "She can't be more than a child. But earlier all the villagers were shouting about a demon. Perhaps she has something to do with that?"

Just as he said this, the two students returned, carrying with them a small person. That was the only observation anyone in the room could make besides the fact that she was covered in blood and dirt. Her head hung limply, and it was hard to tell if there was any life within that battered body.

"I-is she...possessed?" the nobleman asked, moving away from the bloody creature.

Hao laughed. "Hardly. It's simply a wounded child, nothing more." Seeing the looks on the people around him, he sighed. "Still, there's no harm in checking."

Hao stood from his cross-legged position and gestured for the girl to be laid on the ground in front of him. The students obliged. He walked to her and crouched back down so that he was comfortable seated in front of her. He gestured for all of his students to join him. The row of students, which made a total of ten young men, came to stand around the body. He looked at a pair of them whom he hadn't called on yet.

"Fetch hot water and bandages and clean her wounds. We'll send her to the physician later and clean her up properly, but I don't want her to bleed to death while I'm working on her."

The two boys nodded and headed out. They returned in a few minutes, having gotten the hot water from a hot spring nearby, and got to work cleaning the wounds that they could see, careful to be discreet. Hao observed different parts of the girl's body. He lay his hand on her forehead, noting how hot it was becoming. Something else came to his attention, which made his eyes narrow with both annoyance and just a bit of curiosity. Matamune, who was sitting close by, monitoring the student's work, noted the change in his master's expression. Something was obviously not right about this child.

Suddenly, the girl's eyes snapped open, and a piercing scream erupted from her lips. Her whole body jerked. Before long though, her eyes fell shut once again, and she was no longer conscious.

"She's possessed!" The nobleman cried from where he cowered in the corner. "There's a demon inside of her!"

Hao glanced at one of his students and gestured to the nobleman. The student stood and quickly showed the nobleman out.

"Remember this," Hao said. "The last thing you need when you're trying to concentrate is an idiot blubbering about demons."

"Yes, Hao-sama." The students replied at once.

"What can you discern?" He asked them.

"Fever," the eldest said. "Nothing fatal, but enough to keep her coming in and out of consciousness all night."

"Her left ankle is swollen," another student offered. "She must've been running for quite some time. It looks like all of these wounds are old ones that have simply been reopened over and over again."

"There's no sign of any spirit entering her body, willingly or otherwise," another said.

"Wonderful," Hao said to them. "You are all becoming quite observant. The question now is: what was she running from? What can you tell from her clothes?"

One of the students who had fetched the girl to begin with felt some fabric in between his fingers. "It's nothing fancy. It seems to be the garments of a commoner. It's quite thin, so she must've had it for a while."

"There's nothing personal on her except for this," another student lifted a pendant tied around the girl's neck. It seemed to be white, although most of it was covered with blood and dirt, and it was shaped like some sort of religious insignia. "A Buddhist sign, but I don't recognize it."

Hao took it, wiping the blood and mud away. "It's an elemental sign for water. It's made of human bone, probably a very old one. You only really find these in the far south. She must've come a long way." Hao, replaced the pendant and looked at his students. "Well, since the girl is neither in need of an exorcism, or likely to pose any threat as of yet, I suggest that two of you take her over to the physician, and that the rest of you get an early night's rest. I have the nobleman's business to attend to, and I shall want you all up bright and early to continue our lesson." Hao rose. "Good night."

"Goodnight, Hao-sama." The students said with a bow towards their master, then waited until he and Matamune were gone to start deciding who should take the wounded girl with a quick game of Jan-ken.

Hao smiled to himself as he heard the thoughts of his students behind him, all of them trying to get out of having to do the jobs that needed to be done. He remembered having a similar attitude as a young boy, and one that took some time to go away as he aged. Then, his thoughts turned back to the strange girl, and his smile became a slight frown.

"Is something wrong, Hao-sama?" Matamune asked as he followed his master down the candle-lit corridors of the Asakura household. "I noticed that the child brought you some sort of displeasure."

"It is best to hold this discussion until we reach my rooms." Hao replied. "Although I trust my pupils to hold their tongues, the same cannot be said for some of the other members of this household."

They continued their walk silently until they reached Hao's chambers. They were small, and simply decorated and furnished. Hao wasn't one for useless decoration and frivolous adornments. What he kept within his personal rooms were always of some technical or spiritual use to him. As he entered, he removed his monk's hat and sat before the low table on which he kept the scriptures and tablets which he studied as diligently as he could whenever the time permitted. It was his goal to someday gain all of the techniques and spells associated with shamanism. It was a quest that consumed him completely for many days and weeks on end.

"You were saying about the child?" Matamune said, settling onto a nearby cushion and watching his master with curiosity.

"I cannot say why," Hao said softly, making it seem as if he was far more interested in the scriptures in front of him than in the current conversation. "But the girl's thoughts seem to be closed to me."

Matamune stood immediately at this. "What? Hao-sama...how is that...?"

"I do not know," Hao replied. "I've never encountered such a phenomenon before, and therefore am unable to conclude what exactly it is that is prompting such behavior. It may be temporary, due to her unstable state. It may be due to a previous injury of some sort. It may be because she herself has shamanic ability that somehow manages to surpass that of myself. I simply do not know."

"But...if you were unable to read her mind," Matamune prompted. "How did you know she was out there to begin with?"

"The villagers, of course," Hao reiterated, unfazed. "They were crying at the top of their lungs for her to be killed. Any mass thought such as that does not escape my attention. I was able to see through their eyes that she was on her way here, and since she wasn't tempted to change directions, I knew she would soon end up somewhere near our gate."

Matamune looked at his master, once again contemplating how nonchalant he seemed to be about everything, even the fact that he'd just come across the first person whose mind he couldn't read. It made him wonder what exactly was concealed in the depths of his dark heart.

"Do you think she is powerful, Hao-sama?" Matamune asked carefully.

"I felt her power the moment she was brought in," Hao said, his eyes baring a strange, somewhat hungry light. "Even the students must've felt it. She has something that not many shamans do. The villagers could sense that. They were afraid of her. They were terrified." He paused, then blinked slowly. "In any case, Matamune, it's time we get on with business. I won't think about this child any longer. All will be revealed in due time, when she is once again strong enough to speak. We shall have our answers then." Hao rose elegantly, once again putting on his cap and turning towards the door. "It is a fine night for demons."

* * *

"Hao-sama just wants to make sure that you're okay," the student in gray robes was saying as he led the girl down the hall of the Asakura house. "You gave us all quite a scare the other night. I'm glad to see you on your feet again."

The girl gave no reply. The student expected this. All morning, since she had woken up, he and other workers had been trying to get her to speak. So far, she had remained silent. He noted that she was a lot older than he had first imagined. But once she had been cleaned up and dressed properly, the girl showed more womanly features, despite her small stature. Her hair, now brushed and flowing loosely around her, was the color of burnt wood, and her eyes were so dark that he could not tell the difference between the iris and the pupil. The loss of blood had left her pale, and it was easy to tell that no food had passed her lips in quite some time. Though the swelling on her foot had gone down, she still had a bit of a limp when she walked.

The pair reached the door marked with a great pentagram. The student didn't see the girl's eyes widen at the sight of it, for he was busy knocking politely on the door.

"Enter," came Hao's voice from within.

They entered the large chamber where Hao held most of his meetings. Hao sat cross-legged at his usual spot atop a raised platform. A variety of different scrolls were rolled out in front of him, and another onmyoji sat with him, looking over and discussing some things that neither the student nor the girl were exactly able to understand. Then Hao looked up, regarding the student and looking upon the girl.

"Ah, I see our friend is awake," Hao said with a soft smile.

"The physician said she's healthy enough," the student said. "But she's still a bit weak, and she hasn't exactly said anything all day."

"There's no need for her to say anything," Hao said. "I merely wish to examine her once again, just to make sure I didn't miss anything." He looked at the other onmyoji. "Will these suffice?"

"Certainly, Hao-sama," the monk said. "I shall get to work right away." The man picked up the scrolls, bowed, and left the room.

Hao looked at the student, who looked expectantly at his master. "You may rejoin your peers."

"Yes, Hao-sama." The student bowed, first to Hao, then to the girl. He then left the room, closing the door behind him. The girl watched him go, then turned back to Hao.

Hao smiled warmly. He gestured to the cushion in front of him. The girl walked carefully to it and sat down cross-legged as well. She looked at Hao expectantly, though no other emotion was apparent in the girl's features. Hao did not see any fear or confusion, as if waking up in a strange place was only to be expected.

"If you don't mind," Hao said as gently as he could. "I would like to ask you some questions."

The girl's expression didn't change, and Hao wondered if she was, indeed, unable to speak. Perhaps that had something to do with his inability to read her mind. Suddenly, the girl's eyes left him and went to rest of Matamune, who sat next to Hao, watching the girl with curiosity. _Ah, _Hao thought to himself. _Something else reveals itself._

"No," the girl suddenly said, catching Hao off-guard. Her voice was stronger than he expected, filled with a strange weight. "I don't mind."

Hao paused for a second, waiting for her to say more, but she only looked on, waiting.

"What's your name?" Hao began.

The girl looked down for a second, as if such a question warranted any thought. "Tanaka Ayame," she replied softly, almost inaudibly.

Hao gazed at the girl for a minute. "I assume this isn't your real name?"

"My name is hated," the girl said with emphasis. "If I wanted to be known for who I was before, I would. But anyone running from something is smart enough to leave everything what was once theirs behind."  
"Perhaps," Hao said. "I don't suppose you would be kind enough to tell me what it is you're running from?"

The girl, Ayame, remained silent.

"Fine," Hao said. "If you do not wish to speak, I won't press you. Would you mind if I made some observations instead?"

Ayame looked at him curiously, but made no sign for him to stop.

"You're older than you look," Hao began. "Perhaps fifteen or sixteen years?"

"Seventeen," Ayame responded, obviously used to having to explain her age. "Not much younger than you."

"Ah," Hao said with a smile. "Forgive me. Seventeen years of age. It is also apparent that you are from the far south, seeing as you are wearing a pendant common to the area. Also, seeing as it is the only personal thing in your possession, it must be very dear to you."

Ayame felt the pendant with the tips of her fingers. "It was made for me, a long time ago."

Hao studied her for a little longer. His expression remained neutral, but inside his mind was ablaze with wonder. Why couldn't he read her mind? Every time he tried, it was as if a large wall stood in his way, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't get over it.

"You're Asakura Hao, right?" Ayame suddenly spoke, breaking through Hao's thoughts.

"Yes," Hao said, a little surprised. "Who did you think I was?"

Ayame didn't reply at first, and when she did, Hao was even more surprised.

"You have a demon's power, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Reishi," Ayame said. "You hear the thoughts of the people who surround you. You must have it."

"And what makes you think something like that?" Hao asked, deeply surprised by this outburst.

Ayame stood, somewhat shakily, and walked towards Hao. He observed silently as the girl reached out and placed the tips of her fingers on his forehead. As far as he was concerned, nothing happened.

After a few seconds, Ayame sighed, putting down her arm. "It's not use. No matter what, I don't suppose we'll ever be able to read each other's thoughts."

Hao stared at the girl for a couple of seconds before the corners of his mouth pulled into a slight smile. "I see. Two people with the same ability, the powers cancel each other out. That's very interesting."

Ayame returned to her seat, and for the first time, she smiled. "I've always wondered. But I suppose that makes some sense. I've never had this happen before." She settled herself more comfortably. "I suppose I should explain why I'm here."

"I was under the impression that you were running from something," Hao said.

"I was," Ayame said, looking away. "But now that I'm here, I have other things to think about. Especially now that I've found you."

"I wasn't aware that I was known about in the south," Hao said.

"You have quite a reputation," Ayame said. "They say you're the youngest apprentice ever to become an Onmyoji and establish his own clan. Many people respect you as one of the greatest exorcists of all time."

"And how does this concern you?"

Ayame looked at him directly this time. "I wish to become your student."

"Hm," Hao said with a smile. "I've never had a female student before. And I tend to teach my students from a young age. Do you think you'd be able to catch up to them?"

"I know how strong I am," Ayame replied. "I know it's not common, but I have a reason to learn." She stood up, trying to subdue her unstable limbs. She bowed shakily. "Thank you for your audience, Hao-sama. Please let me know of your decision." She began to make her way to the door, but she wasn't three paces away from it when she stumbled and began to fall.

Hao stood quickly, his robe flying from the sudden movement. He caught her with ease, steadying her.

"Perhaps you should rest a bit more?" Hao said, slightly amused.

"I'm fine," Ayame said indignantly.

"You've been running nonstop for days, and it doesn't look like you've had anything to eat in over a week," Hao said replied, more concerned. He placed his arm around her waist and put her arm over his shoulder. With that he began to lead her out of room and down the corridor. "I wouldn't want you to get any more hurt than you already are."

"Your concern is flattering," Ayame said. "But there's no point in me staying here if you're not going to accept me as a student. I might as well be on my way."

"Who said I wouldn't accept you?" Hao said, an amused glint in his eye.

Ayame blinked. "Do you mean it, Hao-sama?"

"It might take a bit of effort to convince the others, but I do see a lot of potential in you, and your strength speaks for itself." Hao led her into what looked to be a dining room where a group of maids were cleaning up. They bowed when they saw Hao. "This girl needs something to eat, quite urgently. Make sure she's fed and taken care of. Also, find a vacant room and set it up for her. She'll be staying with us from now on."

"Is she a new worker, Hao-sama?" One of the maids, who seemed to have more authority above the rest, asked. The other maids looked at the young girl curiously, but they came forward to help her into a seat, while others rushed to the kitchens to find some food.

"On the contrary," Hao said. "She is to be my new student. Find her a set of gray robes and place them in her room."

There was obvious surprise from the group. They looked at one another, giving each other curious looks. This was obviously not normal.

"In any case," Hao said, snapping the girls back into attention. "I have business to take care of," he looked back at Ayame and smiled. "I'll go make the necessary arrangements. Everyone else," he addressed the maids. "Be nice." He bowed, and everyone in the room bowed back. Then, with Matamune at his heels, he left the room.

The girls looked at Ayame questioningly. The others returned soon enough with a tray of food.

"I've never heard of Hao-sama accepting a female student." The first maid who had spoken before said.

"Aren't you the girl they found outside the gates?" A younger girl said, eyeing her with suspicion.

"Yes," Ayame said steadily. She could feel what the girls around were feeling. Although some of them seemed to be okay with her, even concerned, the majority were just suspicious of her. She preferred to pay attention to her food instead. It was the first time she'd had anything to eat besides the physician's chicken broth. "I'm glad Hao was kind enough to rescue me. I would be dead if it weren't for him."

She wanted to laugh when she saw the thoughts of most of the girls around her. Apparently Hao had quite a few admirers. Just the mention of his name sent a wave of fluttering hearts. The fact that Hao had practically carried her in here must've driven all of them crazy.

"That's enough talk," the head maid said. "All of you, back to work."

The maids, although grudgingly, went on with their work.

"My name is Sachi, by the way," the head maid said. "You can call me if you need anything."

Ayame smiled at her, since she seemed to have much nicer thoughts than the rest of the maids. "Thank you."

Left on her own, Ayame finished her meal in silence. Her head hurt a bit, and she was grateful for the silence. The thoughts of others were often so loud that she found herself to be sick with pain sometimes. She hated crowded rooms with a passion, and did everything in her power to stay away from them.

As she finished eating, she called Sachi back, and together they made their way to what was to be Ayame's new room. Hardly paying attention to anything else about the room, the first thing she noticed was the already-made futon with fresh, clean sheets. Despite the fact that it was still early afternoon, Ayame crawled under the covers and was soon fast asleep.

* * *

Hao looked at the small frame of the sleeping girl, a gentle smile settling onto his lips. It was already dark out, and according to Sachi, Ayame had fallen asleep as soon as she had finished eating. _That's good,_ he said. _She'll need quite a bit of strength for what I plan to teach her._

As he looked at her, he couldn't help feeling a sense of fascination. He had never encountered another person with the same ability as his. Considering the circumstances in which he gained his, what must this girl have done to gain hers? He knew nothing of her beyond the fact that she was from further south. She had given him a fake name, and said nothing as to where she came from or what she was running from.

But she was eager to learn. Hao didn't have to read her mind to know that she wanted to strengthen her shamanic ability. But for what? Was she merely hoping to gain more strength in order to be able to protect herself, or because she was hoping to take revenge on someone?

_Perhaps she's like me, _Hao thought bitterly. _Perhaps she's been hurt just like I have. _

Ayame shifted slightly in her sleep, and Hao's gaze softened. No matter what had happened, no matter what circumstances had brought her here, she was safe now. Hao would make sure that nothing hurt her again. It was the least he could do, especially for someone so like her.

Hao smiled. It was strange, but for the first time in a very long time, he didn't feel so...alone. For some strange reason, he felt like a child who held some great secret, and only one other person in the world was in on it, and that secret gave them some sort of powerful connection. It was silly, no doubt, but Hao hadn't had a great childhood, and things like these always helped to fill the deep, empty void within the depths of his heart.

Hao leaned down, extending his arm and resting the tips of his fingers on Ayame's forehead. Her fever was gone, and her skin felt cool to the touch. As expected, nothing happened.  
"Hm," Hao said softly. He stroked the girl's cheek gently before standing up once again. He went to the door, stepping out quietly and closing the door.

Ayame opened her eyes, blinking groggily in the darkness. She had slept all through the afternoon, but her headache was gone and she felt very relaxed. She looked around the room, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Just now, she'd thought she heard...well, she wasn't even sure. But she was alone.

Deciding not to worry about it, Ayame settled herself back under the covers and closed her eyes. As sleep once again came to claim her, she turned one final thought to the great onmyoji who had just agreed to become her teacher, and smiled.

* * *

**Yes, this will be a very cutesy type story, but who the hell cares! Hao is adorable! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter. Not too much happening, but it'll get better soon, I promise :D**

* * *

"...the girl from the other night..."

"..she's studying with us?"

"...but...Hao-sama really thinks she's..."

Ayame caught snippets of conversation as she opened the door to the dining hall where the other students were currently having breakfast. There were several long tables full of students of different ages, ranging from perhaps ten years of age, to eighteen and older, all wearing different colored robes that signified their rank. Another larger table was occupied by Hao and the other onmyojis, all dressed in the white that signified their achievement of the basic Buddhist arts, therefore earning them the title Asakura.

Ayame had barely taken one step in when all conversation ceased. Every head was turned in her direction, except for, she noticed, Hao's. He sat at the center of a long table, surrounded by fellow onmyoji, eating placidly and hardly paying any attention to anyone else.

_Well, _she thought. _It's now or never._

Ayame walked forward with her head held high, looking around for a place to sit. She even smiled at the other students as she walked by. As everyone watched her, Ayame stood in front of Hao's table and bowed.

"Good morning, Hao-sama," she said respectfully.

"Good morning, Ayame-san." Hao replied, smiling with amusement. "I trust you slept well?"

"Very well, thank you." Ayame said. "I am very grateful for your hospitality."

"Please, take a seat," Hao said, gesturing towards the other tables. "I'm sure Minoru-kun would be willing to let you join his group? You will be studying with them after all."

Minoru, the student who had taken Ayame to Hao on the day she'd woken up, looked at Hao with surprise from where he sat with a group of older students. "Of course," he said quickly. He nudged the guy beside him to make room for the new girl. She smiled at them as she sat down. Wordlessly, she heaped her plate with food and ate nonchalantly until the others finally decided to return to their own conversations.

"So," Ayame said with a smile. "You're all Hao-sama's students?"

Minoru cleared his throat. "Yeah, the school is pretty new, so we're all kind of on the same level. A lot of us were either already learning under different masters or decided at a later age that we wanted to join. A lot of the spiritual masters around the area joined Hao-sama's clan, so they teach us as well." He smiled at her then. "I'm Yamamoto Minoru, by the way. I didn't get to introduce myself earlier. I'm seventeen, and I've been studying with Hao-sama for a little over a year now." He signaled to the other guys around the table, a total of four. "These are the others in our level, Satuo Chiyuu, Yamada Otoya, Sasaki Tadaaki, and Kimura Takao." As he said their names, each boy bowed their head in acknowledgement.

"Tanaka Ayame," Ayame said in response, bowing her own head. "Have you all been here for long?"

"About as long as Minoru," Chiyuu, and short boy with cropped, brown hair responded. "Hao-sama came to the capital about a year and a half ago, and he started admitting students not too long after."

"It gets pretty intense sometimes," Tadaaki, a lean boy with bad posture and floppy light hair, added. "Hao-sama moves quickly, and he's not interested in students who can't take direction. But we learn some pretty great stuff."

"Yeah," Otoya, a heavy-built boy who looked like he could knock someone's teeth out easier than he could form an oversoul, said. "Spirit control is the best part."

"Like you have any power to control a spirit," Takao, a boy with very straight posture and somewhat condescending demeanor spoke up. "Everyone knows you need at least more furyoku than a monkey to create an oversoul."

"You want to say that to my face?" Otoya growled, staring across the table at the smaller boy.

"I believe I just did." Takao replied. "Or perhaps you need to get those eyes of yours checked."

They went back and forth, and Ayame got the idea that this was not an abnormal thing.

"So," Minoru said pleasantly. "What exactly brings you here, Ayame-san?"

Ayame smiled. "I want to learn how to be a shaman. I've always been interested in spirits. I've always been able to see them. So it's only natural that I would seek tutelage with the finest onmyoji in Japan."

"Yeah but," Chiyuu said. Otoya and Takao had also stopped their brawl to listen. "You came under such strange circumstances. What was...?"

"Ah," Ayame said. "My dramatic entrance you mean? Well, it seems to me like your locals aren't too keen on foreigners, and much less so with those who talk to an empty room."

Minoru nodded. "I'm afraid you'll get that a lot if you go out. People turn to us to solve their problems and help them when they need it, but they still think of us as strange creatures that need to be watched out for. I'm sure some of them expect us to use the demons' power for evil, or some nonsense like that."

"Doesn't surprise me one bit," Takao said. "Humans always make a mountain out of a mole-hill."

"They just don't understand anything." Tadaaki said with a shrug. "All we can do is be patient with them and hope they don't take it too far."

Suddenly, a bell rang from somewhere outside and all of the students began to rise from the tables. They bowed to Hao before filing out of the room.

"Minoru-kun," Hao said as Minoru and Ayame were going past. "Walk Ayame-san through the schedule. Make sure she doesn't get lost."

"Yes, Hao-sama." Minoru said, bowing.

They walked out into the sun. It was a beautiful day, and the different groups of students walked in different directions, some led by teachers, some on their own.

"So, our first part of the day is meditation, which the whole school does." Minoru said. "Hao-sama takes about an hour every day with each group of students, and the rest of the time is taken by the other teachers. We eat again at noon, although that is usually when Hao-sama holds his meeting with the other teachers to discuss what is being done and whatnot. Then we study and meditate some more, then the rest of the night is ours for rest and individual study. We get two days off every five days, in which Hao-sama invites certain people for private lessons." He looked at Ayame. "Think you got it?"

Ayame blinked. She had been staring at the cherry blossoms, now in full bloom. "Sorry? Oh," she nodded. "I think I understand."

Minoru looked at her for a second before continuing. "There are five levels of students here. The beginners are the biggest class. They're usually younger kids who show natural talent. They can range from the children of nobility to orphans with no clue as to where they came from. They have to pass a preliminary exam in order to be accepted into the school. They wear blue robes. There is a total of six exams that one needs to pass in order to become a full onmyoji. The yellow robes are the ones who have passed the second exam but haven't gone any further. It's the same for the brown robes. They passed the first three exams. We, the gray robes, are the ones who passed the four exams. Then there are the red robes, they're the highest rank of student, and they are the closest to achieving their title. So far there are only three red robes in the entire school."

Ayame recalled the small table in the back of the room that morning, where a small group of red-clad figures sat talking in low voices.

"Then again," Minoru said. "We've had cases in which Hao has simply put people into a rank without testing them. Takao, for example, got put into the yellow robes when the school first opened. And there was one boy who he put into the brown robes with just one glance. It's like Hao can just see how strong they are."

"Oh, that might explain why I wasn't tested." Ayame said thoughtfully.

"You weren't tested?" Minoru said, aghast. "And you got put in the gray robes?"

Ayame shrugged. "I didn't think much about it until now, but Hao just handed me a set of clothes, so I took them." She adjusted the fabric around her middle. "You guys wear scratchy clothing."

Minoru rolled his eyes. "Don't go telling anyone else about this."

Ayame laughed. "Of course. Because it would hurt all of their feelings if they found out that a woman made it further than any of them without even trying." She glanced at one of the masters, who nodded his head in their direction respectfully. "Why do the masters wear white robes?"

"It's supposed to be a symbol of purity." Minoru replied. "But just because they passed the basic exams doesn't mean they know everything. All of them are still working to discover knew arts and stuff. I've heard that Hao-sama is trying to learn to control all of the elements."

"Has he succeeded?"

"Not as far as I know," Minoru said with a shrug. They arrived at an outdoor patio of sorts, where the other gray-robed students were chatting in low voices. Cushions were set up, and they all sat facing a beautiful statue of the Buddha.

"We meditate for an hour," Minoru said. "You can leave if you get too restless, but the masters discourage it. The point is to cleanse the mind before we begin our lessons." He signaled towards a cushion next to his, where Ayame sat, crossing her legs. "We begin when the bell sounds, and it's forbidden to speak until the bell sounds again."

"The entire school does this?" Ayame said.

Minoru nodded. "Each level is in a different section, but the entire school participates in it. Hao-sama usually sits by himself, although he'll sometimes drop in on one of the groups, I suppose to make sure that everyone is behaving."

Suddenly, the same bell that was heard to signify the end of breakfast sounded clearly throughout the place. Everyone sat calmly on their cushions, and all conversation stopped. Ayame faced the statue and tried to breathe deeply. She always found meditating to be rather hard unless sealed in a room with absolutely no one around. Most likely, that's what Hao did to keep other's thoughts from distracting him. _I'll ask him about that later, _Ayame thought. _It wouldn't be fair for him to just leave me here with all of these men thinking their disgusting thoughts._

She took a deep breath, trying to take a bit of control of her reishi ability. But it was impossible to silence it for even a little while. The thoughts of the other students around her still plagued her mind. Over there was Otoya, already thinking about lunch, and Tadaaki, who seemed on the verge of falling asleep. Chiyuu seemed to be doing some strange mathematical equation in his head, Takao was simply fascinating himself with how great he was. Ayame sighed. There wasn't anything she could focus on.

She turned to Minoru's thoughts, and saw, to her surprise, that he was actually trying to concentrate. He was chanting some strange mantra in a different language, and breathing deeply. Ayame focused on this, and found it to actually be very helpful. Soon, she was chanting the mantra as well, though she had no idea what she was saying, and her mind began to go into a very deep, relaxed state.

It seemed like no time had passed when the bell rang once again. Ayame took a deep breath, slowly coming out of her meditative state. They all rose silently and headed for the next thing on the schedule.

The rest of the day went as Minoru had said. Their lesson with Hao wasn't to be held until late afternoon. In the meantime, they went to different masters, all of whom taught different subjects. The first class, history, was taught by Asakura Yori, an old, bald man with a long white beard and laughter lines around his old eyes. He spoke about the people in history as if speaking of good friends, cracking random jokes and going into strange and wonderful stories.

Next came Asakura Shin, who taught politics and etiquette in the high court, as many onmyojis were often hired by the courts as advisers and diviners. Asakura Shin was a middle-aged man who had once served as a diviner's apprentice when he was younger. His lessons were not as fun as Asakura Yori's were, but he did have a good attitude, and a kind demeanor, and regarded all of his students as equals.

"Do a lot of people ask for Hao-sama's help?" Ayame asked as they ate their lunch.

"Oh yeah," Takao said. "All the nobles come here when they have any sort of problem."

"Sickness, political crap," Tadaaki laughed. "One time a noble came in claiming that there were spirits staring at him while he bathed."

"Does he ever let the students assist?" Ayame asked.

"Only sometimes," Chiyuu said. "He usually takes the other masters with him, especially if it's something dangerous. But sometimes he invites the students on the simpler stuff, usually to test them."

"Yeah, we're allowed to sit in when he meets with the nobles," Otoya said. "But only the special ones actually get to go on missions and whatnot."

"Have any of you ever gone?" Ayame asked.

Around the table, everyone shook their heads. "He usually just takes the red robes." Otoya said dejectedly. "They're his favorite students."

Ayame glanced at the table where the boys in the red robes sat. They were speaking in low voices, compared to the rest of the room.

"What does it take to be a promoted to a red robe?"

"Oh, you need to know a lot of stuff." Minoru said. "It's a three-part exam. I've taken it before. It's practically impossible."

"How come?" Ayame asked, still looking at the other table. "What's in it?"

"Well, there's a written exam with one hundred questions, of which you need to get at least eighty correct. Then there's the demonstration, where you show your abilities as a shaman by forming some sort of spirit control and putting it to use in a fight against one of the masters. Then there's the oral exam."

"By far the scariest thing you'll ever do in your entire life." Otoya said.

"It's where you stand in front of all of the masters, as well as the entire school, and they ask you questions." Minoru continued. "Each of the masters has a question, and you have to get all of them right, or else it counts very badly against you."

"Hao-sama is merciless in that test," Takao said. "His questions are nearly impossible to answer."

"Overall," Chiyuu said. "I suggest you get a lot of study in before you attempt to up your rank."

Their other sessions were also fairly interesting. Ayame paid rapt attention in each of them, but she couldn't help her mind from wandering. She was eager to see how Hao's class was going to be. She had heard quite a bit about him, and she was very interested in what he had to say.

Finally, the bell rang throughout the household, and it was time for the final class before they were officially dismissed. Ayame followed Minoru and the others into the divination room where Hao taught. It was the same room she had been brought to on the day she had first emerged from the physician's quarters. Hao sat waiting for them, calmly drinking from a cup of green tea. He wore the same lackadaisical smile that he never seemed to take off.

The same cat that Ayame had seen with Hao that first day now sat casually on a cushion next to Hao. Ayame still didn't understand why the creature had two tails, but it seemed like that might be a bit of a rude question.

The mats where everyone was to be seated were set up in a sort of semi-circle, leaving a good chunk of space. There were leaves randomly scattered around the center of the circle, but Ayame was too eager for class to begin to really notice them.

"I trust your day is going well?" Hao asked Ayame as she walked past.

Ayame bowed. "Very well. Thank you, Hao-sama."

"Good," Hao said. He waited for everyone to be seated before he began. "Today we will be reviewing what we have previously discussed about spirit control. I would like each of you to stand and show me how long you can keep control of a shikigami. I will allow our new student to use any level of her choice, but for the rest of you, I would like to see a minimum of five, like we've been practicing. You will then use the shikigami you have created to battle each other. I only want spiritual contact. The one who destroys the most shikigami wins." He glanced around the group. "So, who's first?"

Tadaaki raised his hand first, which surprised Ayame. He seemed more like a slacker than the type to go out of his way to show something off.

Hao smiled. "Well, since you're our only volunteer, Tadaaki-kun, I will allow you to choose your opponent."

Tadaaki stepped into the middle of the circle and looked back at the other students. Ayame saw the panic in Chiyuu and Otoya's eyes when Tadaaki's gaze swept by them. Judging by their current thoughts, Tadaaki was quite a lot stronger than Ayame was giving him credit for.

"Minoru," Tadaaki suddenly spoke. Ayame watched as Minoru stood and walked to the center of the circle.

"Wonderful," Hao said. "Now, one of you must completely destroy the other's oversoul before it can end. Once a shikigami is destroyed, you are forbidden to recreate it. Understood?" The two boys nodded. "Well then, begin."

Both of the students extended their right arms. Ayame finally noticed the leaves on the ground, and smiled. The boys began to concentrate their energy, and the leaves on the ground suddenly began to vibrate. Ten little shikigami, five on each side, suddenly sprung from the leaves, rising from the ground and resting at the level of the controllers' eyes. With a flick of their fingers, the shikigami flew at each other. It was a fairly even fight. Both of the students seemed to have the same amount of spiritual power.

One by one, the little Shikigami began to disappear as the fighting prevailed. There was soon a two to one ratio, with Minoru in the lead. Eventually, Minoru's Shikigami brought down Tadaaki's, and the fight was over. Both students bowed and returned to their seats.

"Excellent," Hao said. "Both of you showed very good control of your spirits." He looked around. "Is there anyone else willing to go?"

Ayame's hand went up. Everyone looked over at her, a little surprised. Even Hao didn't seem to expect this, but, as usual, his smile remained.

"Very well," Hao said. "You may choose your opponent."

"I was hoping," Ayame said, looking at Hao steadily. "that you'd be willing to be my opponent, Hao-sama."

The looks of surprise only intensified when she said this. They looked from Hao to Ayame, powerful onmyoji to weak, yet insistent, student. They stared, at the edge of their mats, waiting for their master's answer.

"Do you believe that is a wise choice, Ayame-san?" Hao said. He was not rude, or taunting, merely curious, perhaps even concerned. "You do not know my power beyond what you've been told. I have been training for many years. Do you believe it will be a fair fight?"

"I am willing to find out," Ayame replied. "I wish to see what it is that I must live up to." She added an honest smile. Hao considered this shortly before rising and entering the circle.

"If you truly wish to see the extent of my power, Ayame-san, then I will not hold back," Hao said. He flicked his hand, and suddenly two very powerful-looking Shikigami emerged from thin air. They were large, one blue and one red, and they looked like they could kill just about anything in their path. The other students, when they saw this, began to back away and widen the circle. Ayame heard them speak behind her.

"Is she crazy….?"

"…dead if she doesn't…"

"…Hao will kill…"

Ayame rolled her eyes. She always found it hard to concentrate when there were so many thoughts of other people jumping inside her brain. She wished with all her might that she could shut off the link between her and the people around her for merely a minute or two. Was that too much to ask? Of course it was.

Ayame looked at the Shikigami, then down at the scattered mass of leaves on the ground. She extended her arm over the leaves and began to concentrate, chanting a bit under her breath. Many Shikigami arose. The students counted ten, fifteen, twenty…they lost count. The tiny spirits flew at the bigger Shikigami and the fight began. The students watched intently as the opposing spirits were hit again and again. Ayame's small spirits fought very hard, and it seemed like they might actually be able to defeat Hao's spirits. But very soon, the small spirits began to be cut down. It was clear that Ayame was weakening, but she didn't let her concentration break. Even Hao looked a little worn out after a while.

Finally, the last of the leaves fell to the floor, and Ayame crumpled to her knees. Her breath was labored, and she gripped the floor to keep herself from falling over. Hao stood before her, his forehead sweating. He wiped his brow with his sleeve and addressed the rest of the class.

"You are dismissed."

Hao watched everyone leave, and instructed the last one out to close the door behind him. Once they were alone, Hao sat again and looked at Ayame. She was breathing normally again, sitting cross-legged on the floor, but she kept her head down, and Hao could see the exhaustion in her body.

"You're stronger than I imagined." Hao said softly.

"Not strong enough." Ayame said.

"It takes a lot of skill to control so many spirits at once." Hao said. He paused and waited for a reply, but none came. He watched the young girl quietly, but she did not move or lift her head. "Who are you?"

"I can't tell you."

"What are you afraid of?" Hao asked. "Why can't you tell me?"

Ayame looked at him briefly. "Your mind is closed to me. How can I trust someone who I cannot read?"

"How can you trust someone that you can?" Hao said. "You see the thoughts of humans daily. You know that there is no one among them worthy of your trust."

"You include yourself in that statement?"

"I am not a human."

Ayame laughed. It wasn't happy, or mocking. It was almost a sad sort of laugh. "And you think that makes you worthy of my trust?"

"Perhaps not," Hao said. "Tell me, then, if you do not wish to tell me the full truth, why must you become stronger?"

Ayame looked away again. "Why must you ask questions of me?" Her voice was strained, and it seemed as if she were going to start crying. "I want only for you to teach me. I will ask nothing more of you than to teach me and to leave me as I am. I will not take advantage of your hospitality nor slander you behind your back. All I ask of you is to let me deal with my demons on my own. There are things that you cannot know about me."

"I did not mean to upset you." Hao said. He looked to Matamune, who sat attentively next to him. With one look, the cat stood quickly and disappeared. Hao looked back at the young girl. "But if you choose to tell me, I can assure you that nothing you say to me would every reach the ears of another person."

"How can I trust you?"

Hao looked at her steadily. "We suffer alike, Ayame-san. We have the same power, and I'm sure that it destroys you just like it destroys me." He waited for a reply, but once again, nothing was returned to him. "I've never met another like me. Perhaps," he paused for a second before continuing. "Perhaps it means that we do not need to suffer alone."

He now saw how the young girl's body shook, and drops began to fall from her eyes and onto her hands. Still, it was a silent crying, one that Hao probably would have missed, had he not been paying attention.

Weakly, the girl spoke.

"You're wrong." Ayame said, standing up. "I will always be alone."

Ayame left the room without another word. Hao sat there for a couple of minutes, reflecting.

"Did I say something wrong, Matamune?"

The cat reappeared beside him, a slightly concerned look over his feline face. "I believe you were being quite sincere with her," the two-tailed cat replied. "The poor girl, in my opinion, seems to be quite scared. She does seem a bit fidgety."

"There's something about her," Hao shook his head. "I feel strange when I'm around her."

"Strange?" Matamune gave his master a questioning look. "Perhaps it is the fact that you've never had a woman as a student before, and you're not too sure how to handle it."

"Perhaps." Hao said. "She does seem to be quite eager to learn, but her motives worry me. I do not want to be responsible for the education of someone who will only use her power for evil, or for revenge. And this girl seems to have a good number of ghosts behind her."

"Best to keep an eye on her, I suppose." Matamune agreed.

Hao took a deep breath. "I don't even have to read her mind to feel the sorrow within her."

"She reminds me of you." Matamune replied.

Hao didn't reply for a while. He just sat there, staring at the spot where Ayame had been earlier. This girl…who was she, really? He had accepted her into his school simply for her strength. He would have to be a fool not to see that she had potential. But…was it wise to let her in without knowing who she was?

This girl, Ayame…he couldn't pinpoint what it was about her, but he felt strange in her presence. Perhaps it was the effect of finally meeting someone whose mind he couldn't read. But perhaps it was something else entirely. Matamune was right, he had never had a female student, and this knowledge made him a bit…insecure. He hardly knew how to handle women outside of a completely cool and detached demeanor. He had never needed to be close to any woman besides his mother...

Of course, Hao was no fool. He could see the effect he had on women. He had often gazed into the mind of the maids. He knew how to make a woman smile, as well as how to make her blush. But in no way had he ever felt the least bit attracted to one.

Attracted? Was that what he was? Hao had certainly never met anyone quite like Ayame. She had more strength than any of his other students had exhibited. She was intelligent, polite, and by all means beautiful. Could it be that it wasn't strangeness that he felt in her presence, but merely physical attraction? That certainly made a fair amount of sense.

Hao could certainly live with that. As unused to this feeling as he happened to be, it still gave him some control over the situation. He could at least watch out for that the next time he was in the same room as that strange little girl.

"Is something the matter, Hao-sama?" Matamune spoke up. Hao realized that he'd been sitting there for a few minutes without speaking.

"Nothing," said Hao. "I do believe that it's time that I start trying to figure out that child. I shall have to know more about her if I intend to keep teaching her."

"You do not believe she is a criminal, do you?"

"Perhaps not, but there must be something very important," Hao said, standing up. "If she's so adamant on keeping it hidden."

With that, Hao walked out of the room and headed for his quarters.

* * *

**I've been waiting for an opportunity to add Minoru into one of my stories. He's been dancing around my head for months now, so he's finally making his debut. Still, every time I think about him, he's either doing the tango with a very hot woman, or changing his sexuality depending on what mood he's in. Either way, he seemed like a very good choice for what he's going to be doing in this cute little story of mine.**

**Again, I can't claim to know anything actually historical about the era. I'm just writing what comes to mind. **

**Hope you've liked it so far!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Not particularly relevant to the plot, but still kind of cute. This weekend has been a waste filled with horrible disappointment, so I hope you find something enjoyable within my ramblings.**

* * *

"There is something I wish to speak to you about," Hao said as he opened his lesson. The four red-robed students in the room looked at him expectantly. "I have been invited by the court to attend the moon-viewing festival, and I have been given permission to bring all four of you with me."

Minoru and Ayame shared a glance. Several months had passed since their meeting, and both had passed their exam. Another red-robed student had passed his final exam and was now a full onmyoji working in a nearby village.

"Some of you may very well be working for this court once you've passed your final exam," Hao continued. "It is imperative that you understand how such a place works. You will dress in your best clothes and use every ounce of etiquette in your possession and then some. The point of this is to impress them. Nobles are not the type to let in any loose character. You must make them believe everything you tell them. In other words," Hao said with a smile. "It would be advisable to start practicing now."

They looked at one another. It was true, they had been taught for a long time what it took to be a diviner in a high court, but that didn't mean that any of them had any real experience with such a thing. They all managed to look a little bit uncomfortable with the news, although an edge of excitement remained.

"Also, Ayame-san," Hao said. The girl looked up at him. "I'm afraid you won't like this so much, but it is slightly inevitable. You will be in need of an escort."

The others perked up a bit at hearing this. "Will one of us be doing it, Hao-sama?" One off the other students asked, a curious edge in his voice.

"I'm afraid not," Hao said with a smile. "It takes more knowledge than any of you have to be a lady's escort, and I'm afraid you are all somewhat unsuitable for the job. I will be her escort."

Ayame could feel her face burn over this exchange. Why make such a fuss over something so little? Would there really be so much hell to pay if she weren't holding to the arm of some man the entire night?

_Yes, but it'll be _his _arm which you will hold, _her mind said. She killed those thoughts as soon as they popped up.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm going to go to a festival at the court," Minoru said once they'd stepped out of class. "_What_ do you think it'll be like?"

Ayame sighed. "Full of tight smiles and over-enthusiastic greetings. We may be in a time of peace, but you don't know what noblemen keep under their ridiculous hats. They're just waiting for an opportunity to expand their holdings."

"You're really not that keen on nobles, are you?" Minoru said with a smile.

"They're not my favorite type of people, no." Ayame shook her head, brushing her hand through her hair. "I don't want to work for them anyway. I'd rather spend the rest of my life in a quiet village, maybe on a high mountain, or near the sea shore. Any place where no political turmoil can ravage my ears with its stupidity."

"I hope you will not be speaking with such audacity when we enter the court," Hao's voice suddenly reached their ears, and they turned somewhat guiltily towards their master.

"Of course not, Hao-sama," Ayame said, swallowing her surprise. One disadvantage at not being able to read his mind was his apt ability to sneak up on her. "I know when it is proper to hold my tongue."

"I should hope so." Hao said. "Even if you do not wish to work for them in the future, I want you to be kind and respectful. The more conflict we can avoid, the better."

Ayame waved her hand in dismissal. "It'll be nothing but a night filled with fine lace and beautiful patterns. Nothing I can't handle."

"Ah, I meant to speak to you about that," Hao said with a smile. "The seamstress is coming by in an hour to take your measurements. I've ordered special clothes to be made for the event."

Ayame felt her cheeks redden. "You didn't have to…"

"I did," Hao said. "I am quite aware that you own nothing suitable for a court event, and I will not allow you to show up in your school clothes." He stepped past them, waving over his shoulder. "I expect you'll look quite good. I have excellent taste in clothing."

Minoru laughed when he saw the look on Ayame's face. "You know he's just teasing you. You're always so serious about everything. You know he's just trying to make you smile every once in a while."

"I smile enough," Ayame said, crossing her arms.

"If you're that torn up about it, then don't go," Minoru said as they once again began to walk. "You know Hao-sama won't blame you for not wanting to."

Ayame shook her head. "He's done so much for me already. He's let me into his school without asking for payment, and now he's even getting me new clothes." She sighed. "I should've repaid him months ago." She looked at Minoru. "But you have to promise not to laugh at me when you see me wearing those ridiculous clothes."

Minoru laughed. "I won't," he said, ruffling her hair. "Don't forget, I have to get dressed up, too."

"That'll be a sight to see," Ayame said with a smile.

* * *

Ayame took a deep, shaky breath.

"Why do you look so nervous," Sachi said, adjusting the last of Ayame's new junihitoe. It wasn't quite as layered or decorative as some, but it was still quite beautiful, with many different colors and patterns that ended in a short train. Her hair had been pulled up and styled around her face, and a light coating of pale makeup accented her features. In all, she had never looked more beautiful.

"I'm just…" Ayame took another breath. "It's been a while since I've done something like this."

"Oh?" Sachi said, fixing a loose strand of hair. "You've gone to a court festival before, have you?"

Ayame laughed, trying to shake away her nerves. "I mean that it's the first in a while that I've actually tried to…look like this."

"Like what?" Sachi said. "Beautiful?"  
Ayame looked at her new friend, then back at her reflection. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course," Sachi said with a smile. "You're always beautiful, no matter what you wear. You're just trying a little harder now. Now come," she turned her friend around and looked her in the eye. "Enjoy yourself tonight. Don't take the world so seriously. It's a festival. Everyone's going to be smiling and laughing. Don't act like it's going to be then end of the world if you smile _once time_."

Ayame rolled her eyes. "I'll take that into consideration."

"Good," Sachi said, making a few final adjustments. "Now let's get you out there."

* * *

"Why do women take so long?" One of the red-robed students asked. The three of them, as well as Hao, stood outside the gates of the Asakura household, where a couple of carts stood, waiting to take them to the court where the festival would be held. The sun was setting steadily, and it looked like the moon would be rising soon.

"You cannot rush a woman," Hao said wisely. "One wrong step with them and your head will be gone."

The others shared a few looks, two of them raising their hands to their necks.

Suddenly, the gates opened and Ayame stepped out. "Sorry I took so long. I had no idea how much time it takes to put on this ridiculous thing." She was greeted by silence. She looked at the others, a confused look on her face. "What?"

Hao looked at his students with a smile. "I'm afraid they're lost for words, Ayame-san. You seem to have taken them."

Ayame looked at the ground, he face burning. Minoru cleared his throat. "Hey, at least we're not laughing."

Ayame smiled at this. "You look wonderful, Minoru," she said. "All of you do."

"Well, let's not keep everyone waiting, shall we?" Hao said. He allowed the men to climb into the cart first. He held out a hand for Ayame, and when she took it, he smiled at her. "You do look beautiful, Ayame-san."

Ayame blushed a little. "Thank you," she said, climbing shakily into the cart. They settled in and the driver started up the ox. They spent the short journey going over etiquette and other small details about what to say and how to behave.

Before they knew it, they had reached the lavish estate where the prominent members of the court made their dwelling. They were soon led to a beautiful garden by an assistant. The moon was now rising steadily, and the gardens soon filled with many handsomely dressed gentlemen and beautiful ladies.

"Try to look a little happy," Hao whispered to Ayame, leading her from crowd to crowd. "You must look like you are enjoying yourself."

Food was soon served and the nobles sat to watch the dancers and listen to the lovely music. Ayame watched with awe at how smooth and eloquent Hao was with the nobles, speaking clearly and with strong opinion on certain matters, making it very clear where he stood.

Ayame hardly paid any attention to the conversation until it turned to demons. She listened as a few noblemen argued over whether demons should be left alone or not.

"They endanger our lives," one man said. "They are nothing but lying, filthy creatures that cannot help but do harm to innocent humans. They are vile that must be taken care of."

"Please," another nobleman laughed. "You can't even see demons, let alone figure out their motive. You should just leave them alone and let the matter rest."

"You won't be thinking like that when one of them comes and kills you, or possesses you into killing others."

"Forgive me," Ayame said. "But I believe that he is right," signaling towards the man who had spoken on behalf of demons. "Not all demons wish us harm. Most are merely minding their own business."

"And you would know so much, little girl?" The first nobleman said, slightly taken aback.

"Of course she would," Hao said, smiling. "She is one of my students, and one of my best ones at that. She knows quite a lot of what she is speaking about."

"A woman, training to be an onmyoji?" The man said, aghast. "You cannot be serious, Hao-sama."

"I am quite serious," Hao replied. "Ayame-san has proven herself to be quite advanced in the art. Do you think I would make something like this up?" He gave a man a look that made him blink.

"O-of course not, Hao-sama," the nobleman said quickly. "I was merely stating my surprise." Then, he went back to arguing with his fellow nobles.

Hao sighed, knowing that such an exchange could prove unhelpful to them, but he hoped it would be forgotten. He turned to look back at Ayame, but she was gone. He looked around in surprise. Where could she have gone? Without the ability to read her mind, there was no way to track her. And, in any case, he could hardly tell one mind from another in such a crowd.

He looked around some more, then suddenly noticed a train much like Ayame's disappearing around the corner of the house.

Hao stood, making a swift, yet unnoticeable exit and following the path to a smaller, more hidden section of the garden. Ayame sat on a stone bench, hidden by the shadow of a few large bushes. She held her head and was trying to breathe deeply.

"Are you okay?" Hao asked softly.

"There are so many people out there," Ayame said. "So many thoughts. I can't stand it."

"I'm sorry," Hao said, sitting next to her. "I thought you'd be strong enough to handle it. I should've known."

Ayame shook her head. "It's not your fault," she said gently. "I know you'd like me to be as strong as you. You seem to handle your ability so well. But I've never been so good at controlling it. It takes a hold of me whether I like it or not."

Hao laid a hand on her shoulder. "We can leave if you want. I'll come up with some excuse. We could tell them you got sick, or that there's been an emergency."

"No," Ayame said, smiling at him. "You should stay. I know how much this means to Minoru and the others. I don't want to ruin their night. Besides, you have a reputation to uphold."

"Reputations are meaningless." Hao said.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, delighting in the silence. Hao suddenly pulled a small wooden flute from his robe and began to play a soft melody. Ayame closed her eyes, listening to the beautiful music. She could feel herself sway, loosing herself in the notes. Suddenly, she stood, extending her arms and dancing around, stepping gently here and there, and overall letting the music fill her being. As Hao's playing increased in tempo, so did her dancing. She twirled faster and faster until she knew she was going to fall to the ground, and she didn't care.

But she didn't fall. Instead, she felt herself being supported by something. Although somewhat dizzy, she was able to open her eyes, seeing herself in Hao's arms. She now realized that the music had stopped, and they stood in pure silence, staring at each other. Ayame leaned her head against his strong shoulder, and he held her there for a few moments.

"Come now, Ayame-san," Hao said with a smile. "We must return to the festivities."

Ayame nodded, letting herself be lead once again into the crowd, but not allowing herself to leave Hao's side.

* * *

**There ya go. I'm trying to finish writing quickly so I can get to the better parts, but this was kind of cute. I will not be naming any of the other students, since it takes too much effort and I'm not really going to be using them much after this. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I've sure as hell done nothing productive today, so here! Have another chapter!**

* * *

Hao continued to watch this new student of his closely. He continued to teach her, and she learned very quickly. He, for his part, respected her and did not question her, which she appreciated. As curious as he was, he still tried his best to keep himself at a distance, so as not to overwhelm the child.

Years passed, and Ayame continued to learn. She was a very quick learner. Very soon, she surpassed her peers and moved on to become a red robe, passing the test with flying colors. Then, when all of the masters had taught her as much as they could, Hao decided that it was time to advance her education much further.

Two years after Ayame's first day of school, she and Hao sat down, once again, in the divination room.

"What is it that you wish to speak to me about, Hao-sama?"

"I am here to congratulate you," Hao said. "You are now officially an onmyoji."

Ayame's eyes widened. "But…Hao-sama, I haven't even finished…"

"There's no denying that you are by far the strongest student I have ever taught." Hao said, interrupting her. "You are a fast learner, quick-witted, strong, and very willing, and I deeply respect that about you. I don't believe that it is necessary for you to continue at the same level as the others." He paused. "Instead, I would like you to continue with me, as a full apprentice. You would assist me in my work and help me develop and learn new arts which are yet to be discovered." He looked at Ayame steadily. "Would you agree to this, Ayame-san?"

Ayame looked at him, and nodded once. "I would be very happy to, Hao-sama."

Hao smiled.

* * *

"You spend an awful lot of time with Hao-sama, if you don't mind me saying so." Sachi said one day. Ayame sat next to her as they watched the leaves of autumn fall slowly to the ground. It was early evening.

Ayame looked at her friend, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Well, no doubt he must like you a lot," Sachi replied. "If he made you onmyoji after only two years. Don't you think that's strange?"

Ayame could see into Sachi's mind. The thoughts which her friend was thinking made her frown slightly. "What makes you think that that has anything to do with it? I've been training for years, even before I came to study with Hao-sama. He said I was the best student he's ever taught."

"Yeah, but," Sachi looked at Ayame. "Oh come now, Ayame. I've seen the way you look at him."

"What?" Ayame said. "When have I ever—?"

"Every time he walks by," Sachi said. "You get this look on your face like you're utterly confused. It's like you're fighting yourself on the inside." She tapped Ayame's shoulder with her fan. "Come on! You can't go around denying it forever. He's bound to find out."

"There's nothing to find out!" Ayame exclaimed. "Besides, you're the same way! All of you are! Don't think you can hide that silly little blush whenever he speaks to you."

Sachi blushed and turned away. "Why I never—"

"Then drop it," Ayame said. She laid her chin on her hand and stared forward. "In any case, it's not like he'd ever notice anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Sachi said softly, rubbing Ayame's back. "Maybe there's a chance."

"I don't want there to be a chance." Ayame said firmly. "I don't get it. Why can't I just study and learn about spirits and become a great onmyoji? Why does my whole life have to be about whether or not I'm right for this person or suited for some other guy?"

Sachi didn't reply. She hadn't expected such an outburst.

Suddenly, the door behind them opened, and one of the other maids poked their head through. "Sachi," she said. "We still have some cleaning to do. Are you coming back in?"

"I will in a second," Sachi replied. She looked back at Ayame. "Do you want to stay here?"

Ayame nodded. "Thanks for sitting with me, Sachi," she said softly. "I like the company."

Sachi smiled. "Of course. Call me if you need me."

Ayame sat alone on the steps of the huge Asakura house. She had become so used to this place. She knew everyone here, and pretty soon after her arrival, it had seemed like she had always been here. But of course, it couldn't last forever. Eventually her time here would end, and she would have to move on. Someday, maybe soon, she would have to leave all of this behind. She would have to leave…

Ayame sighed. Sachi's words still circled around in her head. She had never been aware of the way she acted around Hao. How did she really feel about him? And more importantly, how did he feel about her? Every time she thought of him, of his smile, his kindness, the way he spoke to her…she felt guilty. It seemed almost selfish to think of him outside of a completely professional way.

"_I wouldn't be so sure," _Sachi's words rang in her head. _"Maybe there's a chance…"_

_ No, _Ayame told herself firmly. _There is no chance. Hao is not yours to take. He's not yours to hurt. Leave your petty emotions aside and deal with it. You will always be alone. _

Ayame's vision began to cloud over. She was losing herself in thought. The outside world became nothing but a blur in her mind.

_Alone… _a grizzly voice in the depths of her mind laughed.

Another beat, and her vision was completely black. She could no longer hear the rustling of the leaves, or the voice of the maids. It was as if someone had taken all the sounds of the world and locked them away in a secret place. Darkness surrounded her completely.

_No! _She cried, though she was unsure if anyone could hear her. _Not again! Please!_

_ So alone…_

_ Please! _She screamed silently. _Please don't!_

_ You will always be alone…_

_ Please…_

* * *

"…will be fine. She just needs rest. I'll watch over for a while and make sure it doesn't happen again." She recognized this soft voice. It brought back very pleasant memories.

"But Hao-sama," it was a woman speaking this time. "What happened to her? Why did she-?"

"It would take too long to explain, Sachi-san." Hao paused briefly. "I suggest you go get some rest. It's late. No one should be up at this hour."

It seemed as if the maid was going to protest, but she must have decided not to, because she replied with: "Goodnight, Hao-sama."

Ayame's eyes opened slowly. It took some time for her eyes to focus, but she was soon able to discern that she was in her room. A single candle flickered in the corner, illuminating the room only slightly. Ayame could tell that it was very dark out.

Her hand went to wipe at her eyes. She sensed movement behind her, and turned towards the door. Hao stood there, the candle lighting up his soft features. Ayame sat up, letting the covers fall from her shoulders. She looked down at her hands.

"It's been a while since that happened to me," she said softly.

"I might have thought that you knew how to prevent it," Hao said. His voice was soft, but Ayame could hear the concern within it. "You gave us all quite a scare. Not everyone knows how to deal with an oni."

"You mean I…" Ayame felt tears come to her eyes. "I created a full oni this time?"

"No," Hao said. "But it was close. In fact, it was almost solid." He sat down, cross-legged, in front of Ayame's futon. "How long has it been since it last happened?"

He almost thought she wouldn't answer, seeing as Ayame hated personal questions. But before long, she spoke again. "I was fifteen. But I was on my own, so it didn't hurt anyone."

"Ayame," Hao's voice was softer than before. She hardly realized that he hadn't used a suffix with her name. "Those things are created from loneliness. Pure, uncharacterized loneliness." His fingertips brushed cheek lightly, and she was tempted to look into his eyes. Even in the darkness, he could see the pain, the sorrow, and the loneliness reflected in them. "Why are you lonely?"

Ayame looked away, and she suddenly realized she was crying. She shook her head, drawing her knees to her chest. "I'm always…always alone," her voice was hardly above a whisper. She sniffed. "I…I just…"

She suddenly felt Hao's arms around her, one under her knees and the other beneath her arms. He lifted her with very little effort and placed her gently over his crossed legs. He then enveloped his arms around her. She leaned against his chest, her cries muffled by the fabric of his robe.

"I promise you, Ayame," Hao spoke to her more tenderly than he ever had before. "As long as you're with me, you will never be alone."

"I…I don't want to hurt you," she whispered into his neck.

Hao tilted her chin up, gracing her with his tender smile. He leaned down, placing his lips gently on hers. Ayame's heart rose to her throat, and the temperature of her skin rose with every breath. She lost track of time as she closed her eyes and let herself fall against him.

"I love you." Hao said gently, brushing his fingers through the girl's hair. "I would do anything to keep you from being lonely."

* * *

Ayame opened her eyes. Her hand went to wipe her eyes. Once her eyes focused, she could see that she was back in her futon. It was early morning. Light shone through her window, and somewhere in the distance there were birds chirping.

Ayame lay there for a few moments. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she recalled the events of the past night. Her whole body shivered as she recalled the kiss Hao had given her, and his words…

_I love you. I would do anything to keep you from being lonely. _

_ Hao… _Thousands of emotions beat at her mind as she searched desperately for a way to calm herself. _How can you love me when you don't…you don't know who I am._

Ayame closed her eyes, thinking. She brushed through options of what she could do now. None of them seemed particularly pleasant. But how could she do anything without hurting him? How could she stay here and watch him suffer because of her?

_But, _one part of her mind said. _Isn't that what love really is? Suffering? You hold on to each other and you fight together until the end. You'd never have to be alone then._

_ Don't be stupid, _another part screamed in a louder voice. _The moment he finds out who you really are, he'll reject you. He'll never want to speak to you again. Just like…_

_ Shut up!_

She suddenly heard someone outside her door. "Ayame-sama?" A young man's voice reached through the door.

Ayame sat up. "What is it?"

"Hao-sama has called everyone into the assembly hall," the man said. "A messenger has come. He has news about the southern court."

Ayame's eyes widened. "Has something happened?"

"Hao-sama told me to gather everyone before any details are given," the man said.

Ayame rose from her bed, pulling on her onmyoji robe. She combed her fingers through her hair before putting on her cap and walking out of her room. Everyone in the household was making their way to the assembly hall, which was only ever used when something big was going to happen. Ayame followed the crowd and entered the room. Everyone sat according to rank around the room, from blue robes to red, and full onmyojis at the head. Hao, of course, sat in the highest place.

When Ayame caught sight of Hao, the first thing she saw was the look of concern on his face. His eyes were on a man who stood in the center of the crowd, facing Hao. He was a nervous looking man, wearing the uniform of a messenger. He carried a scroll in one hand, while his other hand clenched and unclenched from nerves.

Hao turned and saw Ayame walk into the room. His expression did not change, but he gestured for her to sit next to him. She picked her way through the crowd and sat down in her usual place beside her master. She glanced at him for a second.

"What happened?" She asked quietly, so that only he could hear.

"This man says he has news, but he's so nervous that none of his thoughts are making any sense to me," Hao glanced at Ayame. "I'm not sure that you'll like what he has to say."

Ayame tried to see what the man was here for, but the noise of the room, combined with the man's nerves made it a futile attempt. "We might as well hear what it is."

Hao made a sweeping motion with his hand, and the room went quiet. Everyone's attention went from Hao to the messenger.

"Speak," Hao said. "What news do you bring?"

The messenger bowed quickly. "Asakura-sama, news has come to Heian-kyo that the southern court has been destroyed."

A murmur of surprise swept through the room. Eyes widened, hands went to mouths, and everyone exclaimed for one reason or another. Hao glanced around the room, his gaze stopping on Ayame, but she was staring blankly ahead. Her whole body seemed to have tensed.

"How?" She whispered. Then, as if something inside of her had suddenly broken free, she spoke louder. "How?"

The room went quiet once again, and the nervous messenger jumped. "B-bandits," he said. "No one knows who they were, or what they were after. They came late in the night, when everyone was asleep. Many people were killed, either by them, or by the fire they started. They haven't found all the bodies, but I have a list here of all of the people who are presumed dead or missing."

"Etsuko Hayato, and Kasahara Hideyuki," Ayame spoke the names clearly, almost emotionlessly. "What is your news on them?"

"Etsuko…Hayato?" The messenger quickly looked through his scroll. He cleared his throat. "Governor Etsuko Hayato, deceased. He was among the first to be killed."

Ayame showed no change in her emotion. "And Kasahara Hideyuki?"

The man looked down the scroll for about a minute. It took him longer to find this one. "His lordship Kasahara Hideyuki is among the people missing. Whether he is dead or alive is uncertain. May I ask, do you know these—?" He couldn't finish his question, for when he looked back up at the young woman who had spoken, she was gone. She must've disappeared out one of the doors.

Hao looked at the place where Ayame had sat, overtaken by curiosity. Who were these men that she seemed to know so well? A governor and a lord, and she had given their names as if they were people she knew well. It was true, he knew nothing of her past. After their first few encounters, he had stopped inquiring. But still, he wondered.

The crowd had once again begun to murmur. Hao looked back at the messenger. "Thank you for bringing us the news. We hope for a hasty capture of the perpetrators. The maids will feed you and give you something to drink before you journey on."

"Th-thank you, Hao-sa—" But Hao didn't hear. He had already risen from his seat and was out the door. He looked around briefly, wondering where he could find Ayame. He found her sitting on a bench under a tree in the garden. Leaves fell around her. She had his back turned to him. She brushed her hands quietly through her hair. Her cap sat on the ground next to her.

Hao sat beside her, but she didn't look at him. He removed his cap and placed it next to hers.

"You knew them." He said softly. "They must've been important to you."

Ayame looked at the ground. It was taking every ounce of her strength not to cry. She didn't want to cry. She wanted to be strong, especially now. Especially in front of him.

"I knew them." She said quietly. "I loved them." She breathed deeply. "Hao, you…" she looked at him. "You said you love me."

"I do love you," Hao replied. He took her hand gently. "Of course I do."

Ayame closed her eyes, feeling the warmth from his hand and willing it to spread all over her body. "Then I need to tell you who I am."

Hao nodded.

"My real name," Ayame began. "Is Etsuko Hiromi. Etsuko Hayato is…well, was, my father."

"I see," Hao said. "You are the daughter of a governor from the southern court. A noblewoman."

Ayame looked away. "Not anymore. I gave up that name and title when…" she sighed. "My father was an ignorant man. When he was a young man, he wanted nothing more than to gain power. But he was from a poor family, and had very few talents. But he could see spirits and demons. He never had any spiritual power, but he could communicate with them nonetheless. As a young man, he made a pact with a demon. The demon promised him wealth and power, in exchange for…"

"In exchange for you." Hao had heard stories like these many times. Most of the spirits he encountered meant no harm to humanity, but there were others. The stronger, darker demons which managed to escape from Hell were known for their notoriety. They had unimaginable power, but to ask for their help usually came at a very great price.

"The demons conditions were that my father's first child would be given the powers of a demon, and many misfortunes would plague his household." Ayame rolled her eyes. "My father hardly realized that this was a bad thing. He never even planned to have children. So, for a while he lived in an ignorant bliss. He became one of the most powerful governors, gained a lot of land, and overall got exactly what he desired. After a while he even forgot he'd made a pact to begin with. Then he met my mother."

"And then you were born," Hao offered.

Ayame nodded. "My mother died during childbirth. That was one of the first signs of misfortune that my father saw. They knew there was something…off about me from the moment I was born. Everyone believed I was possessed, because I could hear a person's thoughts and mindlessly repeat them. Many of the other nobles wanted to have me killed, but my father wouldn't allow it. He took me to shamans, onmyoji, mikos, itakos, medicine men, and a ton of other things but…" she trailed off. "So instead, he hid me away. I was only allowed to go out on certain occasions, and I wasn't allowed to speak to anyone. For years I stayed in my room, studying on my own, without a single friend," Hao squeezed her hand gently, and Ayame realized that there were tears in her eyes.

She wiped her eyes quickly and continued. "Anyway, after a while, I got tired of it. I promised my father that I would become just like everybody else, and soon, he began to believe me. He took me to social gatherings, events, and other places and I behaved myself. No one ever suspected anything. It was the first time my father was ever proud of me. He now had a perfect little daughter to help him gain even more recognition, and I was happy."

"And the other man?" Hao asked. "Who was he?"

Ayame paused for a little while before going on. "We were to be married." She shook her head. "He was everything to me, but then…" Hao pulled her into his arms and she cried quietly. "He'd see me talking to spirits, and he knew…he called his guards, and I…"

"You don't have to go on." Hao said gently. "I don't care about any of that. I don't care about demons, or your parents, or anyone who broke your heart." He kissed the top of her head. "I only care about you."

"But how can I love you?" Ayame said. "Every time I'm happy, every time things finally go right, something always comes by and ruins it. I don't want to put you through that, ever. I want you to be happy."

"I'm only happy when I'm with you," Hao said. "And there's a difference between now and all of those other times," he looked into her eyes. "I can battle a demon's magic far better than any other shaman or onmyoji in the world. I will sever whatever hold that demon has on you." He kissed her forehead. "I promise."

"Hao," Ayame whispered. Her lips found his and they kissed each other, letting every emotion they'd had bottled up flow out. She tangled her fists in his hair and pulled him closer, and he ran his hands to the small of her back. As her skin burned, he trailed small kisses down to her neck. She leaned her head against him and closed her eyes.

"I love you, Hao."

* * *

**:3 I love Hao. He's my favorite 3 3 3**


	5. Chapter 5

**This is a very short chapter. I wasn't even going to add this in, but I had kind of a bad day, and this made me smile. So, what the hell. **

* * *

"Will you ask her to marry you, Hao-sama?" Matamune followed his master as they walked down the halls of the house, nodding at the people they passed by.

Hao looked down at his companion with curiosity. "I've only been courting her for a couple of months. Should I be thinking about marriage so soon?"

"You know how impatient women can be," Matamune replied. He made a point of looking away before continuing. "Besides, at the rate that you've been going at, no doubt she's most likely with child."

Hao's eyes widened slightly. "I would appreciate you keeping such things to yourself, Matamune."

"Forgive me, Hao-sama." Matamune replied respectfully. "It was merely an observation."

Hao stared forward as he walked, thinking. Ayame had been coming to his room quite often, always staying for the entire night. But she hadn't said…well, would she say anything? Perhaps she wasn't sure. It was hard to tell when it was early on. Hao slapped himself internally for not having thought about something so critical.

Hao turned around suddenly, walking quickly to his room, leaving Matamune behind, watching his master with quiet amusement. Hao had told Ayame to continue writing for a while, as she was now helping him catalogue the spells and arts in what they hoped would become Hao's greatest work, the Cho Senji Ryakketsum. He was sure that he'd find her in his quarters. He opened the door, finding Ayame sitting at the low round table, bent over her work, humming happily to herself.

She heard the door open, and she looked back at Hao. Seeing the look on his face, her smile disappeared.

"Hao, what's wrong?" Ayame stood and walked over to him.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Hao asked, not bothering with any sort of greeting.

Ayame blinked a few times. "Of course not," she said. "I know a way to prevent pregnancy. I'm quite sure I would know if I was."

"Oh," Hao replied, nodding. "Of course, I didn't think of that. Sorry."

Ayame smiled, putting her arms around him. "What's this about? Why the sudden fear?"

"Oh, I was just…" Hao shrugged. "You'd tell me if you were pregnant, right?"

"Of course I would," Ayame said, kissing his cheek lovingly. "You'd be the first to know." She looked up at him. "But tell me, if I were pregnant, what would you do?"

Hao was caught off-guard by the question, not having thought this far. "The right thing would be to marry you, would it not?"

"Would you not marry me otherwise?" Ayame asked.

"Of course I would," Hao said quickly.

"Then," Ayame said with a small laugh. "What is there to worry about?"

Hao paused for a second. "Ayame," he said. "Do you want to marry me?"

Ayame looked up at him. "Are you asking?"

"I mean," Hao said, sure that he wasn't making himself at all clear. "If I were to ask you to marry me, what would you say?"

"That depends on whether or not you are asking."

"I am asking."

"To marry you?"

Hao shook his head. "This is confusing."

Ayame laughed, kissing him. "If you were to ask me to marry you, Hao, I would say yes." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Because I always want to be near you, in life and in death."

Hao pulled her closer to him, smiling. Even now, hearing her say those words made him feel elevated beyond all belief. He realized that he wanted to be near her as well, no matter what the circumstances were.

"Will you marry me, Ayame?"

* * *

**Hope your having a better day than I am :p**


	6. Chapter 6

**I tried to write another chapter to go before this one, to illustrate what caused this, but I think most of us are quite aware of what happened in Hao's first life time. He participated in the Shaman Fight, ended up killing a bunch of people, and the Asakuras tried to stop him. So, instead of writing all of that out, I'll just leave it up to your imagination and give you this instead.**

* * *

Rain. Endless rain pounding on the roof, pouring down the windows, echoing in the halls. The candle in the room was almost completely out. She could hear shouting somewhere out there. She paced back and forth, holding her stomach. She ignored the fact that being nine months pregnant was making it almost impossible to move.

"You understand what's going to happen." The onmyoji who sat on the cushion in front of her spoke steadily, watching the woman pace back and forth despite the size of her stomach. "We can no longer allow for such danger within our household."

"You cannot ask me to give you permission to do this." Ayame said, tears coming to her eyes. Her voice was strained. "He is my husband. I cannot just sit back and watch you destroy everything I hold dear."

"It is the only way," the onmyoji said. "I'm very sorry Ayame-sama, but your husband has killed far too many people. He is too power-hungry. If we do not wish to involve the emperor and his soldiers, we need to take care of this as quickly as we can."

"You would leave a child fatherless?" Ayame cried.

"All of our lives are at stake here." The onmyoji rose to his feet. "I have spoken to the others, and some are even considering getting rid of you as well. You do not know how long I fought for them to spare you."

"Minoru…" Ayame walked towards him, placing her hand on his arm. "Hao was your master. You looked up to him; respected him. Please," she said. "Please, just let us go. We'll leave; we'll go as far away as possible. For mine and my child's sake, let us leave."

"It's not my decision, Ayame," Minoru squeezed her shoulder. "We have to keep the people safe. Hao wants to…to destroy all of them. If we don't do something, hundreds of people could die." His voice became harder. "It's too dangerous to let him go. He must be dealt with."

Ayame's hand covered her mouth, and for the first time in a very long time, she began to cry. Minoru stood there, not sure what to do. It had been years since the two of them had studied together. He remembered the first time he saw her, and now…everything was falling apart. He wanted to help, but what could he do?

"Let me see him." Ayame said suddenly. "If you have any respect or caring left for me, then please let me see him."

Minoru sighed. "I could get in so much trouble for this." Then he nodded, and took her hand, guiding her through the house and to the steps of the temple that they had built to contain Hao. Everything that the onmyojis considered even potentially dangerous was stored down there, including Hao himself.

Ayame walked down the stairs, holding on to her swollen stomach. At the gate, she paused. She could sense the amount of spiritual energy that it took to keep Hao contained, and for a moment, she felt weakened. Then Minoru opened the gate, breaking the link only long enough for her to enter.

Hao stood at the end of the room, facing the great altar. He turned when he heard the gate open, and walked quickly forward when he saw who it was. He pulled Ayame into his arms and they kissed. Then he bent down, kissing her swollen stomach, and holding it for a few seconds.

"How much longer?" He asked.

"Any day now," Ayame said, feeling tears come to her eyes again. "It grows stronger every hour."

Hao stood again holding her close. "They're deciding what to do with me now," he said bitterly. "All of those idiots who always respected me so much. No doubt they'll try to kill me."

"I've done everything I could." Ayame said. "I can't take you away. I can't even fight."

"Don't try," Hao said. "Don't hurt yourself over me. You need to stay and take care of that child."

"No, don't…please don't…" Ayame could hardly hold back her tears any longer. "I can't be without you, Hao."

"You said you'd be with me in life and in death, Ayame," Hao said. "Then that's how it will be." He grabbed a knife from the inside of his robe and before Ayame could stop him, he sliced his index finger.

"What are you…?" Before Ayame could finish the question, Hao grabbed her hand, and despite her struggles, sliced her finger as well. She tried to pull away, but he pushed her against the gate and held her there. With the flowing blood of his finger, he traced the outline of a pentagram on her cheek. Then, he took her finger and traced the same thing of his cheek with her blood.

Ayame struggled. "We can't, Hao!" But her cries were futile. He held her in place, muttering the spell. She knew the words quite well, since she had been the one who had written them in the Chou Senji Ryakketsu. As he continued to mutter the words, the two pentagrams began to glow, searing into the skin of their holders. Ayame cried out in pain as the mark was forever sealed onto her flesh.

Hao finished the spell. Ayame looked at his face and saw that the blood had completely disappeared. She touched her own face, only to feel the smooth skin of her cheek.

She shook her head. "We don't even know if it will work."

"Even if it doesn't, we are bound to each other," Hao said. "If we die, I will find you. I promise."

They suddenly heard people arguing outside the doors. It sounded like the other onmyojis had found Minoru. Hao kissed Ayame one more time.

"Go now," he said. "Take care of the child. Don't let them hurt you."

Tears ran down Ayame's face. She closed her eyes, leaning against him. "I can't leave you."

"You have to," Hao said, pulling away. "The longer you hold on, the more painful it will be. Now go, my love. We'll be together again."

Ayame cried as she turned away and knocked on the gate. Minoru came, pulling the door open and helping her out. "I'm in trouble, but they won't disturb you," he said to her. "Here, let's get you back upstairs."

"Don't let them hurt him," she said to him, tears pooling in her large eyes. "Please."

Minoru looked away. "There's nothing I can do. I'm no stronger than they are."

A sudden pain made Ayame gasp and double over. Minoru stared at her in disbelief. "Oh no," he took her arm and put it around his shoulders, pulling her up. "Here, I'll get you to the physician." He looked back and whistled to one of the other onmyojis, who ran up the stairs and took Ayame's other arm.

Together, the two of them managed to get her to the physician's quarters, but she was screaming and crying out in pain the entire time. They called the maids, who fetched water and cloths as quickly as they could. Ayame was laid in a futon.

Ayame looked at the working maids, trying to ignore the pain.

"Sachi," she said. "I need to talk to Sachi."

"I'm here, Ayame-sama," Sachi bent down, taking Ayame's hand.

"Sachi," she said softly. "I need to…to do something for me…" she screamed again. "I know what fate they have for me…the onmyojis won't…won't let me…live." Another scream. "Sachi, please, take my baby…take care of it…"

"Ayame…" Sachi suddenly heard the door open. Most of the onmyojis in the household stepped in. They were looking at Ayame, and she could see that one of them was holding a large set of prayer beads, such that were used to keep hold of demons and spirits.

Sachi stood and faced the men. "As you can see, this woman is in the middle of giving birth. It is not good for a woman to have so many people in the room."

"We have to keep watch on her," one of them said. "We cannot let her get away."

"I can assure you, there is no chance of her leaving." Sachi replied. "She can hardly move. Now please, leave."

They looked at each other, and the one that spoke before spoke again. "We will wait outside." They stepped out and closed the door.

Sachi kneeled next to Ayame again, taking her hand. "What will you do?"

"There is…" she gasped again. "Nothing to do."

"You're going to give yourself up to them?" Sachi asked, bewildered.

"They have…my husband," Ayame said, tears falling from her eyes. "I have to be with him." She looked at Sachi again. "Take care of my child…please. You are the only friend I have now."

"I will," Sachi said, feeling tears come to her eyes. "I promise I will take good care of it."

The rain pounded on the roof, much stronger than before, as the screaming child was brought into life. Ayame lay back on the futon, still crying, while the physician and the maids cleaned the child up and wrapped it in cloths.

"A boy," the physician said, placing him in Sachi's arms. "He seems healthy."

"Give him to me," Ayame said, holding out her arms. Sachi placed the crying child in his mother's arms, and there he wailed. Ayame smiled at the baby, rocking back and forth and willing it to quiet down. "Now listen here, my sweet love, I cannot stay for long," she said to it softly. "You will grow up hearing many things about your parents. They will call your father and mother terrible names, but you must always remember to be strong, and to be proud of where you came from. You are so loved, my sweet, so loved." As she spoke, she saw the door slide open, and the dark figures of the onmyojis loomed over her.

Ayame kissed the child on the head. "I cannot stay with you, my love, but I leave you in the hands of those who I know will care for you and love you just as I do." Next to her, Sachi cried, and it took all of Ayame's will not to cry as well. "My son, you must always be strong, and carry your family's name with pride, even in the worst of times."

Two onmyojis stepped into the room. "Asakura Ayame, you must come with us now," one of them said.

Ayame held her child close to her, letting the tears fall freely now. "Please," she said, handing the child to Sachi. "Take care of him. Don't ever let him feel lonely."

"I won't," Sachi said through her tears. "I won't." She embraced her friend one final time before one of the onmyojis wrenched Ayame to her feet.

Ayame walked without a protest, but as she turned back to look at her new-born child one last time, she felt her entire world fall apart completely. They pulled her into the rain and towards the temple where her fate would be carried out. She lifted her head, remembering the spell that Hao had cast over them. To the onmyojis' disbelief, she smiled.

"Well then," she said bitterly. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

**Yeah, I had to. I'm far too involved in writing out the other two lifetimes. I just had to end this one. It's kind of tragic, but it had to be done.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wooh! New chapter! I've had a bit of trouble deciding where I should set the story from now on, and who Ayame should be and so on...but I think I have it somewhat figured out now. Oh well, I hope it works out.**

* * *

_**Florence, Italy**_

_What is this horrible feeling? Why does it hurt so much? _

Something in her chest was…aching. No, it wasn't aching, it was…beating. A beating heart. She hadn't had one of those in a very long time. In fact, it had been five-hundred years since she'd felt the burden of a beating heart. Her mind laughed only slightly. The spell had worked.

The only thing that concerned her at the moment was where she was. Her whole body was warm, quite comfortably so. She could not move as of yet, or open her eyes, but she could sense a lot of things. She could feel the breath of…something. Something quite big, as well as a second, louder heartbeat. Could it be…?

_Ah, _her mind said. _So this is the beginning of life. This is where it all starts. _

She deepened into her thinking and waited out the long days and months which it would take for her to experience birth for a second time.

* * *

"How is her health?" The woman sitting on the bed said. She leaned against the bed-rest, supported by big, fluffy pillows. She looked strained and tired, but stern all the same. "I do not wish to lose any more children, doctor. Now tell me, what is her health like?"

"She seems quite healthy," the doctor, who held the newborn child in his arms, said. "I doubt there is any danger of her death as of yet, milady."

"Give her to me," Clarice said. The doctor hurried over, laying the young child in her mother's arms. Clarice cradled her there and smiled at the little baby. "She is a pretty one. Inform Lorenzo that his daughter was born."

"Would you like to set a date for the baptism?" the doctor asked.

"Within the week would be good. I would like her to be christened soon, in case another death should occur."

"Very well, milady." The doctor left the room quickly, leaving Clarice alone with her ladies. They cleaned up around her. Clarice looked at her child for a few minutes, singing to it softly. The child slept peacefully in her arms. Clarice was surprised, of course. Every single one of her previous children had been almost impossible to control, always screaming and crying and kicking up a fuss. But this new baby slept as if there were nothing to cry about, and the world was peaceful and quiet.

Lorenzo de Medici entered the room, closing the doors behind him. "A girl?"

"She has your eyes," Clarice, replied. "Are you pleased?"

"Certainly," Lorenzo replied, picking up the child. "She will be taught as her sisters. I can already tell that she'll be quite the artist."

"A woman's place is not with art," Clarice said, although somewhat more weakly than her usual stern and biting temper. "She will be taught the word of the Lord, just as her sisters."

"Of course," Lorenzo said, rolling his eyes. "What else is there to be taught?"

Clarice sighed. "I am tired. You may send for a wet nurse if she gets hungry."

Lorenzo nodded, still holding the child. One of the ladies offered to take it, but he refused. "I wish to spend some time with my new daughter."

He carried her out, walking quietly through the halls of the Medici house. The child opened her eyes and looked up at the man who held her small frame. He smiled at her when he looked down.

_How interesting…_she thought. Looking into his mind, she could see that he was quite powerful. A ruler of the Florentine Republic, which, she was sure, she would learn more about later. _So this is my new father. Lorenzo de Medici. And his wife, Clarice Orsini, my new mother. What a strange language…_

"Come now, my child," Lorenzo said to the unassuming, or so he thought, new-born child. "You must learn of art before it is sucked out by those who call themselves holy."

The child only blinked at him, but right away decided that she liked this man. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all…

He carried the child to a large room filled with paintings and sculptures. "I am a great advocate of the arts, you see," he said, holding her up to see a great painting depicting some sort of holy scene. In it, a woman of fair hair was being crowned by two angels, while she held a small child in her arms. Five red-headed youths were also portrayed in the picture, one of whom the child recognized as the man who now held her, although his hair was really black. "Without art there is only destruction. Better to have chaotic art than chaos in politics."

The small child seemed to smile as he spoke. She reached her hand out as if to touch the painting, but the man held her back. "No, no, small child. Art is for looking, not touching."

* * *

"…servant of God, Beatrice Claudina de Medici, is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." The archbishop finished baptizing the new born child and handed her back to the awaiting parents. Clarice took the child in her arms and followed her husband out into the carriage with her three other children.

"Why a name like Beatrice?" Clarice asked, devoting most of her attention to making sure that Lucrezia and Piero didn't start to fight, and that Maria wasn't about to fall off the seat.

"I've always wanted a child named Beatrice," Lorenzo replied, grabbing Maria and placing her on his lap. As the carriage bounced, so did the child, making her laugh enthusiastically.

"Quiet now, child," Clarice said. "If you do not stop, Beatrice might start to cry."

"Please, she's hardly made a sound since she was born." Lorenzo replied, hugging his year-old daughter closer to him. "Let your children have a bit of fun. Don't you remember being a child, dear wife?"

"Quite hardly," the woman said, with one of her famous eye-rolls.

* * *

**I've always loved the Renaissance. It was a horrible time to be a woman, but regardless, it was a beautiful moment for artists and scientists. I chose the Medici family because there was a child born to them named Beatrice, but she died shortly after her birth. I figured that kind of fit the timeline, so I'm changing history :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Happy holidays!**

* * *

The day was bright and beautiful. Music was everywhere. Figures dressed all in white danced with glee and sang loud, clear, happy notes. It was as if God had looked down specifically on their city and let loose every ray of beautiful, redeeming sunshine. Well, that's what Beatrice's mother had said as she looked out the window of the house of Medici.

"Cannot we go as well?" Beatrice said, looking longingly at the streets of Florence, all filled with the happy commoners who celebrated the coming of spring.

"Don't be silly, child," Clarice said, turning her back on the window. "Nobles do not mix with common folk. We have our own affairs to take care of. We must prepare for the celebration tonight."

"All nobles do is stand around and talk about their money, or their land, or who is buying what for what reason. Commoners at least know how to have fun." Beatrice said, sitting on the window sill.

Her mother turned back to glare at her daughter. "Do not speak in such a manner, child. You are not yet old enough to understand the ways to the world, or what it means to be a noblewoman."

"I believe I understand it quite well," Beatrice muttered, too low for Clarice to hear.

"And do no sit on the window sill," Clarice continued. "You will ruin your new white dress. I am going to speak to the cooks. Try not to leave your room, Beatrice."

Beatrice watched her mother walk out of her room and close the door. Then, when she knew that she was gone, Beatrice pushed herself back onto the window sill and continued to watch the world below. She was still small enough to fit comfortably on the small window. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, listening to the lively music coming from the square.

She opened her eyes when she heard a different tune. She opened her eyes, seeing a small group of gypsies, two men and a woman, in the street below her, singing for their supper. They had dark skin and hair, but dressed in colorful clothes and cheap jewelry. They sang a song so mournful that Beatrice felt tears come to her eyes and was compelled to give them a piece of gold or two.

Suddenly, one of the gypsies, a dark youth with floppy hair and a beautiful, deep voice, looked up and saw her. He smiled at her.

Beatrice smiled back, for a moment forgetting her young age, and waved sweetly. The man directed his singing towards her, and she blushed at the suggestive words in the lyrics.

"What are you looking at?"

Beatrice started slightly at the voice of her eldest sister, Lucrezia. She had been so consumed in the gypsy's song, she had hardly noticed the door to her room being opened.

"I'm just looking at the commoners below," Beatrice said. "They seem to be having fun."

"You weren't looking at those gypsies, were you?" Lucrezia said, looking down at the group with distaste. The man was no longer looking at them. Instead he was busy trying to get the attention of the women on the street.

"I was merely smiling at them."

"Beatrice," Lucrezia scolded her. "You know they will only steal your money and leave you for dead should they ever get the chance. And who knows what else they would do to a woman?"

"I am merely ten years old, dear sister," Beatrice said. "What would they do to a child?"

"It is improper to say. But be careful," Lucrezia reached over and closed the window. "No man is to be trusted, especially not filthy vagabonds."

"I wouldn't mind being a vagabond," Beatrice said softly. "I'd wear the clothes of my choice and smile at any man, and play music and dance all day long. I would find a man who I'd love more than anything and live forever in happiness."

"Do not speak such nonsense." Lucrezia said. "We are noblewomen, not whores. We must marry the men who are chosen for us. That is our duty."

"What a terrible world where a woman cannot choose for herself." Beatrice said. "It's what I've always hated about this land. I will not marry unless I choose to."

Lucrezia shook her head. "You will understand one day, child." She turned to leave. "You say such strange things sometimes."

Beatrice watched her sister leave, then turned back to the window. It was early evening. No doubt every noble in the area would soon arrive and the "festivities" of the house of Medici would begin.

"What a bore," Beatrice said. "Nobody here knows how to have fun. Nobles never seem to change, no matter how much time passes. It's always the same nonsense."

She looked back down. The gypsies were still there. She saw the careless smiles on their faces and heard the beautiful tone of their voices as they melted together. She looked back at her own room, the beautiful, ornate tapestries that covered the walls, the lovely gowns that peeked through her armoire, and the large bed with clean sheets and soft covers. Oh how she longed to be away from this!

It only took a second to make up her mind. As the final rays of sunshine left the sky, one of the windows in the Medici house opened and a small figure pulled itself through and fell four stories to the ground below, landing with a soft thud. Beatrice stood, brushing herself off, and smiled. She walked towards the group of gypsies, not worried at all about who had just seen the incredible feat and who on earth seemed to care. She was free.

The same gypsy man who had sang to her earlier smiled at her when she saw her coming. He bowed towards her.

"Beautiful night, is it not, your highness?" He said in his beautifully deep voice.

"Very beautiful," Beatrice said with an equal smile. She pulled a couple of gold pieces from her pocket and gave them to him. "Please sing to me, if you would be so kind."

The gypsies sang.

* * *

**I need to find names for these gypsies. They're not all that important to the plot, but I will be using them a little more. If you've ever heard "Raggle Taggle Gypsies" then this situation should be rather familiar. Don't worry, though. She does find Hao eventually :D**


	9. Chapter 9

They called her Luminitsa, the little light. They laughed at the way she spoke, but applauded and cheered when she danced. They gave her food and shelter, as much as they could provide, and in return, she worked and performed for money. They asked no questions.

The young man's name was Besnik. He was seventeen years old when he sang to the girl at the window. He was known for his charm and his voice, and never went by unnoticed. He was young and carefree, and liked nothing better than to sing to beautiful women on the streets of Florence. As the young girl became more incorporated into the band, he became a brotherly figure towards her, which she didn't seem to mind.

"I must admit," Besnik said, walking next to the young girl. "You looked older from far away."

Luminitsa glanced at the older boy, knowing quite well what his thoughts had been that particular moment. "Just because I have a young body does not mean I am not older in mind and soul."

Besnik smiled. "I am only saying. You were quite a sight on that window. I could've sworn I saw a beautiful young woman with full breasts and long, golden hair flowing in the wind." He laughed when the young girl pushed him. "But instead I get a little chit of a girl, not even old enough to wear a corset."

"Are you disappointed that I am not worthy of your seduction?" Luminitsa asked, in a voice which sounded nothing like that of a child's.

The youth looked into the child's deep blue eyes for a moment, then he flicked her on the forehead. "Grow a pair, then we'll talk."

Luminitsa rubbed her forehead, once again pushing the older boy, this time managing to knock him off balance. "It's not like I'm yours to take anyway," the girl said, brushing herself off.

"Oh, there's someone else, is there?" Besnik asked, wearing a large smile. "Anyone I should be jealous of?"

"Very jealous," Luminitsa said. "He is smart and beautiful and I love him with all of my being." As she walked she began to balance herself on the edge of the sidewalk, seeing how long she could go without falling. Then, when she did, Besnik grabbed her quickly and steadied her as she laughed with pure, unmasked glee. "Someday I will find him and we will be together forever and nothing will break us apart."

"You and your fantasies," Besnik said. "And where exactly is this perfect man of yours?"

Luminitsa's smile fell a little. "I do not know. But I am searching for him. And one day I will find him. I am sure of it."

Besnik put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure you will, little one. You are very good at getting what you want."

* * *

Six years passed. They traveled a lot. Usually over land, on horses and wagons. Sometimes they crossed lakes and rivers. They went from city to city, country to country, performing their music and struggling to survive. The gypsies sang, and Luminitsa danced, drawing as much of an audience as possible before the guards forced them to move on.

Luminitsa saw people from hundreds of different backgrounds. She heard different languages, different types of music, and saw different dances in every place she went. She met shamans, fortune tellers, medicine men and women. Some knew of the Shaman Fight. Some didn't.

Every day was a struggle to find food and to make enough money. Sometimes they'd get lucky and have enough money to last a while. Sometimes they had nothing. Sometimes they traveled in large groups with other gypsies. Sometimes they were on their own. Sometimes they were overtaken by deadly sickness. Sometimes some of them didn't survive.

Overall, it was the most fun Luminitsa had ever had in this new life of hers.

* * *

"Catch those gypsies!" The guard yelled, running as quickly as he could. It was dark, and they could hardly see in front of them, but the figures of the running gypsies were still a bit visible in the low light. There was no moon that night, and the city lamps did little to break through the desperate darkness. Still the guards prevailed. The gypsies were so close, just within their reach. They couldn't give up now.

Luminitsa tightened her grip on her shawl, securing it as she ran down the unfamiliar streets of the German city where they had just arrived. She knew nothing of the place, and could hardly understand the language. She was hungry. It was already about a day and a half since her last meal, not that it was much of a meal. She was weak; tired. She could hardly see anything in front of her. Where was Besnik? He had been right next to her. He was gone now. Why were these guards chasing them?

The guards yelled behind them, their swords gleaming every time they caught just a little bit of light. There was a scream behind her. Someone had been caught. Who was it? She couldn't tell. She couldn't see. Where was everyone?

Another scream. Someone was calling her name. She took a sharp turn down an alley. There were shadows. She pushed herself against a wall. She pressed her hand against her mouth; she couldn't let them hear her breathing. The guards ran by, still shouting.

She waited. Soon the shouts began to quiet down. They were further away. The streets settled back into their quiet darkness.

Luminitsa put her hand down slowly. She took a deep, shaky breath. Where was she? She looked around, squinting in the darkness. She was surrounded by houses, tall and dark. Perhaps there would be somebody willing to help? But every window was dark. She couldn't bring herself to wake somebody and beg for help, not in this state. Who would help a poor, filthy gypsy?

Then, like a welcoming beacon, she saw a light. The windows of one of the houses, much bigger than the rest, glowed with warm, yellow light. She walked towards it like a ghost, staring at the lights as if nothing else existed. She reached the door, her small hand reaching for the ornate knocker. There were words on the door, most likely a family name, but she could not read the strange language of the land she was currently in. She knocked with as much strength as she could muster. Her vision was blurring. There wasn't just one door in front of her anymore. There was two of them, maybe three. Spots began to appear everywhere, blinking in different colors.

What was going on with her?

She caught a glimpse of the silhouette of a young man before her vision went black.

* * *

The girl's fingers began to twitch. Her eyes began to move slightly. Her head turned. A low sound escaped her lips. One hand went to her head, then the other. Her eyes shot open. She sat bolt upright, looking around.

"Ah, you're awake," A soft voice with a thick accent said from a little ways off. She looked to her left. A man sat in a plush, red armchair near a large fireplace where a large fire roared cheerily. He was a young man, perhaps twenty years of age. He was of fair complexion, and he wore a loose white shirt and black pants. He smiled at her.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I should be asking that of you," the man said, standing up. "A young girl, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, knocks at my door in the middle of a dark night and faints as soon as I open the door. From the last three words she has spoken, I can tell that she was born somewhere within Italy but has gone to many places, most likely with a group of gypsies, judging from her dress, but she is not a gypsy herself. Her light skin and fair hair suggest Italian, and her accent suggests that she lived there for about ten years. I can tell she has not eaten for a few days, and very often gets very little to eat as it is. So tell me, gypsy who is not a gypsy, who are you?"

The girl shrugged. "The name changes depending on who I'm with. Sometimes I'm Beatrice, sometimes I'm Luminitsa, and sometimes I'm something different entirely." She looked at the man. "I don't like being the same person. It keeps me from getting attached."

"So who are you in this situation?" the man asked, an amused smile on his face.

The girl shrugged. "Give me a name, and that's who I will be. After all, you know everything else about me already."

The man smiled. "Adelaide it is. Beautiful name, don't you think. I've always wanted to have a daughter and name her that, but I suppose you'll have to do." He bowed. "My name is Johann Faust. I am an alchemist."

"Is that some form of shaman?" Adelaide asked.

"Of sorts." Johann said with a smile. "I assume you're of shamanic background as well?"

Adelaide smiled. "I do know a few things." She swung her legs down from the bed where she sat, attempting to stand. Johann caught her as soon as she started to fall.

"Not a wonderful idea, my dear," the man said. "You might want to rest a little longer before you go on your way. Might I get you something to eat?"

"I should go," Adelaide said. "I lost my family. We were being chased by guards. They might be in trouble."

"One cannot fight without nourishment." Johann sat her back down and handed her a slice of bread and cheese. She bit into it gratefully, although she was still anxious to get going.

"What time is it?" Adelaide asked in between bites.

"Some time after midnight." Johann said with a shrug. He stood staring out the window into the dark night. "You were out cold for about three hours. You don't sleep much either, do you?"

"Never seem to find the time," the girl replied. "Can't survive if I don't work, and I can't work if I'm not awake. Well, in theory," she said, rolling her eyes at the thoughts that suddenly popped into the mind of the young man. "I'm in a band. We travel around. They play and sing, and I dance."

"Ah," Johann said. "It must be a hard thing to do. You don't seem to make much money."

"We make enough to get by," Adelaide said. "For the most part."

Johann was still looking out the window, and his face suddenly fell into a frown. "Tell me, why were you being chased by guards?"

"We always get chased by guards," Adelaide said. "Nobody likes a band of gypsies trying to make money on the streets. But tonight they just came after us. We didn't even have our instruments out. We were just walking down the street and there they were." She looked at the man. "Why?"

"Because it looks like they're still after you," Johann said. Just as he spoke, they heard a loud pounding from the front door. Adelaide jumped at the noise.

Johann left the room, instructing her to stay where she was. She heard the door open, and muffled words coming from the front hall. She sneaked out of the room, trying to get a good view of the door. She could see Johann, and sure enough, there were a group of guards. They were speaking with heavy accents, but she managed to pick up a few of their words. They were looking for her.

Johann seemed to thank the guards, then he closed the door and turned around. As he came up the stairs, he spotted Adelaide. "You should be careful." He said. "Those guards are going to every home in search of the gypsies that managed to get away. They'll kill you as soon as they see you."

"Is that what happened to the others?" Adelaide asked. "Did they kill my family?"

"Some of them. Some of them got away." Johann said, leading her back into the room where they had come from.

"But why?" Adelaide asked. "Why were they chasing us? We were doing absolutely nothing!"

"Why not?" Johann said calmly. "If they are the law, they can do as they please. This city does not take kindly to gypsies. Weren't you warned before you came here?"

Johann looked back at the young girl. She leaned against the wall her hands covering her face.

"Are you crying?" Johann asked.

"No," Adelaide said steadily. "I'm just trying to think."

"You should be crying, shouldn't you?" Johann said. "They were, as you say, your family."

"They took care of me for six years, yes." Adelaide said. "But they are gone now. There is nothing to be done of that."

"You could search for them."

"Why should I?" The girl went to the bed and sat down. "I only joined them so that I could get away from my old family. I enjoyed their company, but that doesn't mean that I can't move one with them gone. I have bigger things to think about."

"Bigger things?" Johann asked. "Such as?"

"The Shaman Fight, for one." Adelaide said.

"Ah, you wish to participate?"

Adelaide shook her head. "I'm searching for someone. And I know him well enough to know that I will find him at the fight."

"And who is the man for whom you search?" Johann asked, his curiosity flaring.

"My husband."

Johann laughed slightly. "I thought as much. But the fight is not for another two years. What will you do until then?"

Adelaide shrugged. "I'll find something. I'm old enough to get on by myself. Perhaps I'll find an artist or someone to assist."

Johann smiled at her. "Then perhaps I can extend you an offer?"

Adelaide looked at him cautiously, but then she saw what he had in mind.

"If you stay here and assist me in my own endeavors, I will provide you with food and shelter and anything else you happen to desire until such time that you find your husband and are able to go with him instead." Johann extended a hand. "Do we have a deal, my dear Adelaide?"

* * *

**As it is, we know very little about the previous Shaman Fights and who participated in them, but I will be bringing in a lot of the characters that we do know about. Hao does eventually show up again. I promise he'll be back! But first I have to have fun with Faust and a few others. Merry Christmas!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I decided it would be a good idea to see where Hao was at during the last three chapters. Of course you all know that his second lifetime took place in the Patch village. There's really nothing else about his early life there that anyone really knows, so I decided to get a little creative. And, anyway, I was tired of not having Hao in the story :)**

* * *

Hao had gotten used to the sand. It was everywhere. He had gotten used to it being forever stuck inside his moccasins and trapped in his clothes when the wind kicked up. After a while, one could get used to many things. He had gotten used to the sharp rocks and the hard ground. He had gotten used to the dry summers and the snowy winters. He had gotten used to the vastness and the emptiness and the endlessness.

He hadn't gotten used to the loneliness. Even after five-hundred years.

Training wasn't hard for him anymore. Hao knew it would be rigorous and possibly painful to become a priest of the village. They started him young. But he got used to it quickly. He was much better at it than any of the others. And he was, of course, the strongest of all of them.

They knew there was something off about him from the moment he was born. Hao kept mostly to himself, as he had in his first childhood. He had little time to pay attention to anyone else. Most of his time was spent training, or meditating, or relearning how to play his flute, because the flutes they made here were strangely designed and harder to play. Nobody bothered him much.

Nobody knew who he was.

Well, one person knew. She was once the interpreter to the Great Spirit, the chief of the tribe. She knew who he was from the moment he was born. She knew the legend from five-hundred years ago. But she was an old woman now who tended to ramble on about strange and incoherent things, so nobody paid much attention to her. He certainly didn't. All he wanted was to be left in peace. And to win the Shaman Fight. And to find his wife.

The spell hadn't gone quite like he had hoped it would. Hao had been able to choose where his new birth would take place. Hers, on the other hand, was completely out of his control, and she didn't have enough strength to control it herself. Her location was an absolute mystery to him. All he could do was pray for her safety and wait until the day when he could get out of this barren desert and search for her.

But the Shaman Fight was approaching and there was much to get done. The ten priests, chosen from birth, (something he was still rather skeptical about), spent most of their time training in the wilderness, learning how to survive, how to perfect their oversouls, and preparing for the journey that they would soon take, although they had no idea where it would be.

* * *

"The Great Spirit has chosen the location for the preliminaries."

The ten priests looked at the chief with surprise and curiosity. Hao sat in the back of the group, already aware of what this new chief was going to say. She was the daughter of the old chief, since it was a title passed down through blood-line. She was young and knew very little about being a messenger to the Great Spirit, but with her mother's deteriorating condition, she had had no choice but to step in and take the position. She was also desperately in love with Hao, which was something he would've liked to avoid completely.

"The first phase of the Shaman Fight is to take place in a place called France, in a continent called Europe," the chief continued.

The ten priests began to mutter among themselves, some filled with curiosity, some with fear, some with anticipation.

"You must prepare yourselves for a very long journey," the chief said. "According to the Great Spirit, you will find this land by walking to the East until you find the ocean, then you must cross the ocean and find land once again." As she said this, she drew a map in the sand in front of her. "The Great Spirit will show you the way. You must leave immediately." She looked at the ten priests. "Are all of you ready to do this?"

"It is all the will of the Great Spirit," one of them said. "We must go without fear."

The others nodded and made noises of agreement. Hao smiled with amusement. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. _Maybe she'll be there, at the Shaman Fight. Maybe…_

The others left to say goodbye to their families. Hao's new family was a small one. His new mother cooked and looked after the children. His new father hunted a lot and rarely spoke to him or his siblings. He had two younger brothers. They meant very little to him, and he to them. He had never attached himself to this new family, and they didn't seem to mind much. He didn't need to say goodbye.

"H-Hao," the chief spoke up before he could leave. "Could speak with you?" He looked back at her expectantly. Her name was Xylo, and was considered one of the most beautiful women in the village. Her shamanic power wasn't very great, but her family had been the leaders of the Patch tribe since the beginning. She had power in ancestry.

"I just…wanted to wish you good luck," Xylo said, her eyes on the ground in front of her. "I know it'll be a long journey, and there's no way of knowing what will happen. I…hope you'll stay safe."

Hao found Xylo's thoughts amusing, although a little unwanted. No matter where he was or what he looked like, he always had the same effect on women, and it was starting to get a bit tiring. He hated to disappoint them, and he always felt terrible when he did. But Xylo would eventually learn that he wasn't hers to take. Hao had almost perfected his shamanic techniques. Perfecting the art of letting someone down gently, on the other hand, was not working out as well as he'd hoped.

"I appreciate your concern," Hao said levelly. "But you shouldn't worry. We will be safe with the Great Spirit's guidance." With that, he bowed to her and turned, listening to her cry out softly in her mind, but choosing to ignore it. Some things are better left alone. And, anyway, it was possible that she would get over her silly crush after being gone for several months, even years. By the time he returned, she would most likely be married to one of the other men in the village. He would be out of her mind in no time.

With a deep breath and a final look at the village, Hao of the Patch followed the ten priests into their new adventure.

* * *

**So there you go. Yes, I do intend to use Xylo much more in the future, but first, I must reunite the lovers. Believe me, it will be beautiful. Or maybe not. It depends on how I'm feeling at the time. Thanks for reading :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yay! New chapter! Now, before you begin, please take the time to notice these translations, or else the story won't really make much sense. **

Votre maître m'a embauché pour faire le ménage: Your master hired me to do the housework

Pourriez-vous traduire: Could you translate?

Vous pouvez me voir: You can see me?

Oui, madame: Yes, madame

**PS: It's all French, just so you know.**

* * *

"Doctor," Adelaide called, opening the front door and closing it behind her. The day was warm and sunny, and it felt good to be out of the hot summer day. She removed her hat and placed it on the mantel while balancing a stack of packages in her arms. "They didn't have the root you wanted on hand, so I put in an order," she called, putting the packages down. She took off her jacket and fanned herself. "It's just getting hotter and hotter these days." She waited for a reply.

"Are you in, Doctor?" Adelaide called again, but there was no reply. _Maybe he went out? No, he would've left a note…_ She walked up the stairs and went into the large room where Johann Faust conducted his experiments. She saw him there bent over a couple of flasks. Both held liquids, one was completely clear and the other a faint shade of pink. He was getting ready to pour the pink one into the clear one.

"Take note of this, Adelaide," Johann said, not looking up from his work. Adelaide pulled out a sheet of paper and a quill. She dipped the large feather in ink and watched the reaction. At first, nothing happened. Then, after a few seconds, the liquid began to bubble and change colors. The two of them covered their mouths and noses as a thick fog began to come out of the flask. Adelaide ran to the window and threw it open, breathing in the fresh air. Johann followed, holding the flask out in the open and letting the fumes be swept by the wind.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Adelaide asked.

"Absolutely not," Johann said, confounded. "That's the third time this morning. I've done everything I can. I've changed the amount, I've heated and cooled it, I even added more than the necessary amount of water. I do not understand what I'm doing wrong."

"You'll get it eventually," Adelaide said with as Johann threw the remaining liquid out the window.

"It is time for a break," Johann said, soaking his hands in the water basin. "One can only do the same things for so long before insanity sets in."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Adelaide said, rolling her eyes. "Come, I'll make some tea."

"Did you find everything I asked for?" Johann asked as he followed his assistant down the stairs.

"Like I said, the apothecary—"

"Yes, yes, the wormwood roots. I'll deal with that later. No time for that right now. There are things to think about, plans to make. No time at all. We must get started immediately."

Adelaide looked back at the man, a questioning look on her face. "Is something wrong, Doctor? You seem a little…"

"Excited, that is what I am." Johann said. "Overly enthusiastic, and you have no idea why. But when you hear, my dear, oh, when you hear."

"Right," Adelaide took her master's arm and led him to the sitting room. "Why don't you stay here and I'll go get some tea?"

Johann Faust sat in his favorite chair by the unlit fireplace, an almost manic grin on his face. Adelaide could see that there was a lot going on in his complex mind. Equations jumping from one end of his brain to the other. Images of places, real and fantastical. Nothing she could make much sense of. But, then again, he was a man who never made much sense to begin with.

"I have received news," Johann said as Adelaide poured tea for both of them. "The Shaman Fight is to take place in Paris."

The teapot almost fell from Adelaide's hands. "Paris?"

"Have you been there?"

"Once," Adelaide admitted. "With the gypsies." She sat in the chair opposite from Johann. "How did you find out?"

"Oh, it's all rumors, but it's fairly easy to tell which ones are true," he signaled towards the house around him. "All of the ghosts are stirring. It looks like _they _are on their way."

"They?" Adelaide asked, stirring sugar into her tea.

"Yes, the guardians," Johann said. "The keepers of the Great Spirit."

"Oh," Adelaide said. "You mean the Patch."

"Do you know of them?"

"Very little," Adelaide admitted. "All I really know is that they judge the Shaman Fight. And that they are from a faraway land, across the ocean. You say they're coming?"

"Yes," Johann replied. "They're on their way to Europe as we speak. Every shaman who wishes to participate has been notified. We will be heading to my uncle's manor in Paris immediately."

"I thought your family wasn't speaking to you."

"Oh, my uncle is dead," Johann said quickly. "But he left his manor open for the use of anyone with the name of Faust. No one would question my inhabitance, since everyone else claims that it is haunted. No one dares to set foot in it."

"How convenient," Adelaide replied, sipping her tea.

"It would seem that way, yes." Johann's hands were shaking with excitement. "Well, we must make the necessary preparations at once. We shall leave immediately. You shall be my sister, Adelaide Faust. You will be free to seek out your husband and I will proceed with the competition. Does that sound fair?"

Adelaide smiled. "It is more than I could wish for, dear Doctor."

Johann Faust looked at his assistant, as if suddenly noticing her presence. "Tell me, my dear, how old are you?"

"I turned eighteen just last week," Adelaide said, forgiving his overworked mind. "Have you forgotten so soon?"

"Ah yes, a good age for a married woman." Johann replied. "But you must be careful of other men. Many will do what they can to court you, but you must make it clear to them that you are somebody else's."

"I'll take that into consideration," Adelaide said. "Shall I arrange for a coach, Doctor?"

"Certainly," Johann said. "You'll want to pack quite a number of things. There's no telling how long such a thing will last."

Adelaide went to her room, a strange feeling in her heart. _Finally. Finally the Shaman Fight is starting again. I'll find him there. I'm sure of it. _

Before long, their trunks were packed and a coach stood outside the front door. The journey took a total of six days, including many stops to eat and rest, as well as the occasional nature walk. Still, they eventually made it to Paris, the large city which so many artists were fond of.

The manor was located just outside the city. It was much larger than Johann's house back in Germany, but it was obvious that it hadn't been lived in for quite some time. Weeds choked what was once quite likely a beautiful garden. The windows stood cold and lifeless, and the entire place looked about as welcoming as a rabid creature.

"People think this place is haunted?" Adelaide asked as they stepped down from the coach.

"Yes," Johann replied. "Not many people in my family can see ghosts. In fact, I believe I may be the only one still alive who has that power. But there's nothing to worry about, my dear. Just a few old spirits flitting about here and there. Nothing harmful, as far as I'm aware."

Adelaide nodded absentmindedly, looking up at a face in the window. A little girl, probably eight or nine years old, stared down at them with curiosity. Adelaide waved at her. When the child saw that she had been seen, she blushed and disappeared.

"Are they all your family members?" Adelaide asked. "The ghosts."

"Most of them," Johann replied. "Some are old servants, others just showed up for the vacant space. I'm not too sure who's in there and who isn't."

They got their trunks and took everything inside. There was dust on every surface, and it took them a while to find enough candles to light up. Soon, though, they had enough to light up the sitting room and a few to take to the rooms where they would each be sleeping.

"In the morning, we shall fix this place up a little," Johann said, sweeping his finger through the thick layer of dust over the fire place. They were able to find some wood in the back that would suffice for a decent fire. The place looked much more cheerful in the firelight. "I haven't been here since I was a child."

"It's a beautiful home," Adelaide said, brushing the dust off of one of the lounge chairs and sitting down. "Have you any idea when the Patch are meant to arrive?"

Johann shrugged, taking the seat opposite. "They could come at any time. If they come from across the ocean, as you say, then it could be months before their arrival."

"Then why did we—?"

"I wanted us to arrive as soon as possible so as not to miss them." Johann replied, waving his hand dismissively. "As I said, they could come within the next week for all we know."

Adelaide didn't argue, but she was a little tired of moving around. She had come to really love the little German town where she had lived for the past two years. She had picked up the language well enough, and nobody ever really bothered them there. _But at least you're closer to finding him. Maybe he's thinking the same as the Doctor. Maybe he's here already._

"Adelaide, are you listening?"

Adelaide blinked and looked at Johann. "Sorry, of course. What were you saying?"

"I was saying about the inn."

"Inn?" Adelaide asked. "What inn?"

Johann sighed. "A rumor is going around that there is an inn somewhere in Paris where all local shamans…congregate. Anyone who is going to participate in the fight is quite likely to go there. I believe that the Patch will go there as well."

"Then we should go," Adelaide said, now more excited than before. "If that's where all of the shamans are going than we—"

"We will go in due time," Johann said. "But tonight we must focus our attentions on getting sufficient rest. I shall go into town tomorrow to investigate, but I wish for you to stay here and clean up a little." When he saw Adelaide's fallen expression, he rested his hand on hers. "You will find your husband, Adelaide. But at this moment we must prioritize. Not many shamans are likely to have shown up yet. You still have time."

Adelaide sighed. "Of course. Forgive me, Doctor."

"It's quite alright." Johann replied. "I know you are eager to move as quickly as you can, but sometimes it is nice to simply take a deep breath and let the world move on its own."

Adelaide stared into the fire for a couple of minutes. The dancing flames helped to soothe her racing mind. "I shall retire now, Doctor. Like you said, we must both rest for tomorrow."

"Good girl," Johann said, nodding. "I shall wake you before I leave tomorrow. I shall also be looking for a good meal to bring back for us while I'm in the city. We have very little to eat here." He smiled at the young girl. "Goodnight, dear Adelaide."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

She took a pair of candles with her and ascended the dusty stairs. She had chosen a small room with a comfortable bed and a vanity, but not much else. The window looked out into the drive. She dusted around and changed the linen on the bed before pulling on her nightgown and slipping in between the sheets.

_Soon, _she told herself. _I'll see him soon._

The little girl who had looked at her from the window floated into the room and smiled at the sleeping figure on the bed.

* * *

Adelaide woke up before Johann. The sun had barely risen, but she couldn't sleep any longer. The moment her eyes opened everything came back to her. Where she was, who she was, what was happening. _How funny, _she thought. _I must've been dreaming about my old life._

She sat up, looking around. The room looked must older in the sunlight. Adelaide sighed, just now realizing just how much work she had before her. She pulled herself out of bed and put on her dressing gown. She went down the stairs, noticing just how dirty the place really was.

"No one's lived here in a while, have they?" Adelaide asked, mostly to herself.

"No," she heard a voice next to her. "The master died about a decade ago. Nobody else likes to come here."

Adelaide looked down and saw the little girl from the night before walking next to her. She wore a dress that would've been more common about a hundred years before, and her brown hair was curled around many ribbons.

"Have you been here long?" Adelaide asked her.

"A while," the little girl shrugged. "I forget. I died in the room where you slept last night. I don't mean to scare you, but I very rarely get to tell anybody that."

Adelaide smiled. "I understand. What's your name?"

"Remiette," the girl said.

"How old are you?"

"One hundred and four," Remiette replied. "But I died when I was ten. What's your name, Mademoiselle?"

"Adelaide."

"You don't look like an Adelaide," Remiette said wisely.

Adelaide blinked. "I don't? What do I look like, then?"

Remiette studied her for a while. "You look like a Veronique."

"Do I?" Adelaide laughed, continuing to walk down the stairs. "Well then, Remiette, I will permit you to call me that, if it pleases you."

"Thank you," Remiette smiling. "Who is the master who came with you? Is he your husband?"

Adelaide laughed, shaking her head. "He is merely a friend. His name is Johann Faust. His uncle once lived here."

"If he isn't your husband, then why are you with him?" Remiette asked curiously. "It's improper for a woman to travel alone with a man who isn't her husband."

"I am his personal assistant," Adelaide replied. "I run errands for him, help him with his experiments, and clean up around the house," she looked around. "Which is something I should really get started with."

"Do you not have a servant?"

"We've never actually needed one," Adelaide said. "The house we lived in back in Germany was much smaller. Although one would certainly come in handy right now."

"Ah, good luck then, Veronique." Remiette said with a smile. "I would help, but my current circumstances prevent me from doing so."

"Oh, that's quite alright," Adelaide replied, walking into the kitchen. "You wouldn't mind keeping me company, though?"

"Of course not," Remiette said, smiling.

Not long after, Johann Faust came down the stairs, yawning as he pulled on if overcoat. "Good morning, my dear." He said as he entered the kitchen. "Have you found a suitable breakfast?"

"Leftovers from our travels," Adelaide replied, placing a plate of nearly-stale bread and ham in front of him, as well as a cup of weak coffee.

"How unfortunate," Johann replied. "Well, I shall make sure to find a good dinner for us both." He finished his breakfast quickly and stood up. "I shall return later this afternoon. Goodbye, dear Adelaide." With that, he sprung out into the warm summer day, leaving Adelaide in the large, empty, incredibly dirty manor.

Adelaide sighed tragically. "How did I even get to this?"

"How old are you, Mademoiselle?" Remiette suddenly asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"I just wish to know."

Adelaide sighed again, picking up a nearby room. "I am an old woman. I don't even know my true age. I'd say I'm about five-hundred years old, give or take a few years."

Remiette's eyes narrowed. "Why do you joke with me, Mademoiselle? You are not a ghost. You are fortunate enough to live. Why don't you tell the truth?"

Adelaide smiled at the little girl. "Forgive me, but I've lived for so long that I cannot help but feel like an old woman at times. I am eighteen."

Remiette nodded. "I thought as much."

Adelaide spent much of the morning dusting, sweeping, hauling water from the well, and mopping. It was hard work, and it took a very long time, but at least it kept her from thinking too much about the Shaman Fight. She had hardly finished with the ground level of the house when somebody knocked on the front door. Adelaide looked up from her work, wondering who on earth even knew that the house was occupied.

She rearranged her dusty dress and brushed her hair out of her face before pulling the door open. She was surprised to see a young woman standing on the steps. Her skin was dark and her clothes old, so it was plain to tell that she didn't have much money. Commoners spent a lot of time in the sun. In most European countries, it is fashionable for a woman to have light, fair skin, but since commoners worked outside a lot, it was hard for them to achieve this. Therefore it was really only something that high-class ladies were able to do.

The woman had dark hair and eyes, and she smiled and curtsied politely when Adelaide opened the door. She certainly looked a lot better than Adelaide did at the moment.

"Votre maître m'a embauché pour faire le ménage," the woman said.

Adelaide blinked, surprised. "Right, I'm in France. I forgot." She thought for a moment. "Par…parle…German?" The woman shook her head, not sure she meant. "Um, or Italian? No? Japanese, maybe?"

The woman continued to shake her head. Adelaide tried reading her thoughts, but it was no use. They were all in French. Soon, though, the woman pulled a note out of one of her pockets and handed it to Adelaide.

Adelaide opened the note. She recognized Johann's distinct handwriting, scratched out quickly onto the back of some sort of announcement.

_Dear Adelaide, I have sent some help over so that you are not left with such a huge task on your own. Her name is Michela. I shall be home at dusk._

_Yours,_

_Johann Georg Faust_

"Ah," Adelaide said. "A servant, how convenient." She stepped back into the house and motioned for Michela to come in as well. The young woman followed, closing the door behind her.

Remiette looked at her with curiosity. "A servant?"

"Apparently," Adelaide responded.

Michela looked at Remiette, and curtsied quickly. "Pourriez-vous traduire?"

Remiette's eyes widened. "Vous pouvez me voir?"

Michela nodded. "Oui, madame."

"What are you two going on about?" Adelaide asked, not too sure what was going on, or what they were saying, which left her a little bit uncomfortable.

"Oh," Remiette said. "Well, apparently, she can see ghosts as well, which is probably why the master sent her here. She would like me to act as translator."

"Perfect," Adelaide said. "Tell her that we must get back to work immediately if we are to have this place cleaned up by the time the Doctor returns. She can get started in the bedrooms."

Remiette translated and Michela nodded, immediately getting to work. Adelaide didn't know how much Johann had agreed to pay her, but Michela worked hard and with little complaint. Hardly a word came out of her mouth, although Adelaide blamed that on the language barrier. But with the extra help, she was able to move a lot more quickly. In fact, they were done before Johann returned.

The sun was just going down when the door opened and Johann walked calmly through. He looked around the entrance hall, an easy smile on his face.

"You've outdone yourself, my dear," he called. Adelaide came down the stairs and helped him out of his coat. Michela followed, standing at a polite distance.

"Did you have any luck, Doctor?"

"Quite so," Johann replied. "I found the inn. It turns out that many shamans have already started to gather. They say there's going to be a sign of some sort."

"Sign?" Adelaide asked. "What sort of sign?"

"Oh, who could tell with these godly types?" Johann said, taking the bundles he carried into the kitchen. "Perhaps it'll be as subtle as a flash of lightening, or maybe as overt as snow in the middle of summer. I guess we'll have to wait and see. But right now, we must focus on our supper."

Before long, a nice meal was prepared and laid before them. Michela ate little, despite their prompting, and Remiette looked on with a sad sort of longing. It was oddly more cheerful with the company than it ever had been when it was only Johann and Adelaide. Michela was to stay with them until she was no longer needed, which comforted Adelaide a little. As much as she hated crowds, it would be nice to see this manor filled with people.

Adelaide stared out her window before going to sleep. She was tired from the day's hard work, but she wanted to watch the stars a little before going to bed. Sitting on her window sill, she was reminded of the day she met the gypsies. She thought back on those days with them, running around, dancing for money, never really tied down to one particular place. Where were they now, the ones who had survived that horrible night? Were they still traveling around, or had they been killed in another place, for other reasons?

Then she thought of her old family, the Medici's. She wondered about her siblings, and her parents. She had heard that Clarice de Medici had died from some sort of disease. What about the others? They were most likely all married by now, with children to care for. And what of Lorenzo de Medici? What had happened to that strange man who had shown her art on the day she was born? Most likely, he remained the ruler of Italy. She certainly hadn't heard otherwise.

Adelaide sighed. So much can happen in just one lifetime. There's so much possibility, so much that could go wrong. And here she was, living her second life. _I should be dead,_ she thought wearily. _My soul should be part of the Great Spirit, or haunting some old house, like Remiette. It shouldn't be trapped inside a young body that should've belonged to someone else._

She closed her eyes. Perhaps it was time to go to bed. Perhaps she would feel better when she woke up.

She opened her eyes, ready to close the window and crawl into bed, but something in the sky caught her eye. Like a flame, a large ball burst into the sky from the distance and began to fall through the stars, leaving a silvery-blue trail behind it.

"A comet," Adelaide said, smiling up at the sky. "How beautiful."

* * *

**Happy New Year!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AH! Winter break is almost over! No! **

**Yeah, well, I guess there's not much to be done about that. Actually, I've been pretty bored lately. I've been trying to knit a blanket...it's not working out too well.**

**In any case, here's a new, super long chapter. Hope you like it :D**

* * *

Three figures moved through the city streets in the dead of night. They moved quickly, quietly. They met no one as they made their way around the dark streets of Paris. Finally, they stopped before a typical-looking inn. One of them stepped forward and knocked three times.

The door opened a little. "State your business." A man with a gruff voice said.

"We heard there was news concerning the Shaman Fight," Johann said easily, a smile on his calm face.

The man grunted, opening the door for them to step through. The room they entered was large and well lit, with many tables, all centered on a large, empty space in the middle of the room. Many people, both men and women, were seated around, but they weren't looking at anything, simply talking and laughing, but keeping everything toned down. Some were dressed as rich as princes, others as poor as beggars, with many different styles. A man in the corner played a mandolin. The center of the room was empty.

Then man who had opened the door closed it when the group entered. The three of them lowered the hoods on their cloaks. Adelaide looked at all of the different people. Some did not look like they came from Europe. Some had dark skin and were dressed in loincloths and bones strung through leather, with large masks. There people from the Orient, and others wearing clothes of which she couldn't guess the location.

"Are they all here because of the sign?" Adelaide asked.

"If that is what you'd call it." The man who had opened the door replied. "But the spirits are restless. There is a lot of talk, but everyone seems certain that it will be happening very soon."

"Are there more yet to come?" Johann asked.

"Many," the man said. "They've been sailing in from all over the place, but they've been keeping very low. It's been hard, but we're trying to keep the King out of this. It won't do us any good if the government suddenly gets involved."

"Well, we shall wait for news," Johann said. "Come Adelaide, Michela, we must find a place to sit for a little while."

Johann led them to a table towards the back of the room. They sat down and ordered some drinks, looking around cautiously at the rest of the crowd. Remiette appeared next to Adelaide, looking a little nervous.

"There's so many spirits here, Veronique," Remiette said softly to her. "They're all a little scary, don't you think?"

"A little," Adelaide said. She looked at the crowd of strange faces, a little overwhelmed by all of their thoughts. She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from getting a headache. "Remiette, would you look around at the people for me? See if you can find a man."

Remiette looked at Adelaide questioningly. "But there seems to be nothing _but _men here, Veronique. What kind are you looking for?"

Adelaide sighed. "I don't know what he looks like, but try to look for someone who seems a little full of himself and perhaps a little dramatic."

Remiette still looked a little lost. "I'll do my best."

The young ghost began to weave her way through the tables. Adelaide sat silently, occasionally speaking to Johann and trying to communicate a little with Michela, but she was restless. She could hardly concentrate. She kept trying to focus into the mind of every man within her vicinity, trying to tell whether or not she could read their minds, but the room was just too crowded.

Suddenly, something none of them were expecting happened. A large squeal of delight startled everyone in the room. Everyone looked over to a table towards the middle of the room where the spirit of a little girl was chasing after a two-tailed cat.

"What a precious little cat," Remiette squealed, picking up a kicking and scratching Matamune.

Adelaide's eyes widened. She stood up and wove her way through the tables until she came to where the spirits were. The cat finally got out of Remiette's deadly grip. It hissed up at the little girl, then scurried up a nearby table. Remiette stood, looking a little stupefied. The man sitting at the table looked at the cat, then at her, with a look of surprise.

The man suddenly laughed. "Come now, Matamune. Be nice to the lady."

"Forgive me, Yohken-sama," Matamune said bitterly. "I sometimes forget the effect that I have on small children."

"I'm sorry about that," Adelaide said quickly, coming to the man's table. "She really didn't mean to upset your cat."

The man waved his hand dismissively. "Don't mind him. He's just a bit cranky. He doesn't like to go out in public. He prefers to sit at home and mope."

"Bad kitty," Remiette muttered, but Adelaide gave her a look of warning.

The man stood and bowed. "I am Asakura Yohken, and ascetic monk from Japan. This is my friend, Matamune."

_An Asakura? _Adelaide studied him for a second. What was an Asakura doing at the Shaman Fight? And with Matamune? She curtsied. "I am Adelaide Faust. This is Remiette, a household spirit."

Remiette looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, that's a German name, isn't it?" Yohken asked, sitting back down. "And what brings you to an inn like this on such a night? Certainly such a young girl is not planning on competing in the Shaman Fight?"

Adelaide's eyes narrowed for a second, but she decided to let it go. He was only teasing, after all. "I am assisting my brother. And I am searching for someone."

"Oh?" Yohken said, more interested. "Someone interesting?"

Adelaide smiled. "Perhaps. Well, it was lovely to meet you. Again, I am sorry for my spirit's behavior." She smiled at him, curtsying. "Goodbye, Asakura Yohken." Before the man could say anything more, she hurried back to Johann's table, quickly downing the drink that had been served to her.

"Who was that man?" Johan asked. "Somebody you know?"

"No," Adelaide replied.

"And the cat?"

Adelaide glanced at Matamune, who still sat at his new master's table, grooming himself silently. "An old friend."

The others gave her questioning looks, but they chose to drop the subject.

Suddenly, the center of the room began to fill with smoke. Everyone looked to see what was happening. The smoke became so thick that they could hardly see. Suddenly, figures began to emerge from the smoke. Beatrice counted ten of them. They were dressed in black and white capes, and wore silver ornaments and eagle feathers. With their arrival, the smoke began to fade, until there was no longer any.

"…what is..?"

"…who are those…?"

"…they just appeared…!"

People all over the room muttered to each other, but many of them were shocked into silence. Who were these strange men who had suddenly come in with such a dramatic entrance? Were they contestants as well?

One of them, a tall man with short, dark hair, stepped forward. "We are the ten Patch priests, officials of the Shaman Fight in Paris." He paused, but nobody dared to speak. They watched him with a mixture of awe and fear. "I do not doubt that many of you are thinking about competing in the fight, and I highly encourage you to. But be warned," he cast a dark look around the spectators. "You will be up against many strong contestants, and death is not uncommon. If you want to keep your life, you'd be better off not wasting our time. Each of us will be evaluating every contestant. We will not tell you when, or where, or under what circumstances your evaluation will be, so our advice is: be ready." He looked around the room once more, then, having finished his warning speech, he relaxed a little. "Now, we've heard that this is a fine place for a shaman to get good food and drink. If you'd be willing to comply, we have plenty to pay with."

"Certainly," a nearby waiter said, albeit a bit nervously. "Please, make yourselves at home."

Hao looked around the room at the many faces that surrounded them. _So all of these people think they have what it takes? _He couldn't help but laugh at their ignorance. _They'll know soon enough. They'll know that there is no room for the weak in a fight like this._

As he followed the rest of the Patch towards their table, he suddenly caught sight of a young woman sitting in a table nearby. She had long, golden hair, and wore a blue gown. Their eyes met momentarily, and he smiled at her. She met it with stony look.

"They seem pleasant," Johann said, cutting into Adelaide's thoughts. One of the Patch priest's had smiled at her, but she hardly noticed him. She still hadn't gotten any closer to finding Hao.

"Peut-être que nous devrions rentrer á la maison." Michela said.

"Yes, that does sound like a good idea," Johann said. "Perhaps it is time to go home."

"Not leaving so soon are you? Why, the party's just begun!" The group looked up to see Yohken, smiling brightly. He bowed towards them. "The lady knows this already, but I am  
Asakura Yohken. Why don't I buy you guys a drink and we can talk for a little while?"

"Is there anything in particular that needs to be discussed?" Adelaide asked coolly. "Not particularly," Yohken admitted. "But it sure beats sitting all alone."

Johann and Adelaide shared a look. "Then please, by all means," Johann said, signaling towards an open chair. "I am Dr. Johann Faust, and this is Michela."

"Ah, so you are the lady's brother?" Yohken asked, sitting down.

"I am," Johann said without hesitation. "I care for her until such time when I can give her to the care of a husband."

"Perhaps you can tell us what brings you to the fight?" Adelaide said quickly, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Yohken leaned back on the chair. "Well, I guess you could say I'm looking for someone, too."

"Oh?" Adelaide asked, matching the tone he had used in their earlier conversation. "Someone interesting?"

Yohken smiled at her. "An old enemy, I guess you could say. It's a hard story to explain."

"I'm sure we've heard worse," Adelaide said, rolling her eyes.

"Believe me, you haven't." Yohken took a sip from his drink, then cleared his throat. "You see, my family goes way back. One of my ancestors competed in the Shaman Fight from five-hundred years ago. He was this incredibly strong onmyoji, and really smart. He created all of these spells and techniques and wrote an entire book about them. But of course, nobody knows any of these techniques anymore, since the book was sealed away in some hidden temple, guarded by a couple of demons."

"And what does this ancestor of yours have to do with your current enemy?" Adelaide asked.

"Let me get to that." Yohken said, waving the question away. "Anyway, this man became so hateful towards humanity that he threatened to destroy it and create an all-shaman world. Supposedly his wife was in on it, too, but we don't know that much about her. Anyway, the other onmyojis got so scared that they killed both of them. But he had created this spell that would allow them both to come back to life."

"That's impossible." Johann said, though Adelaide could tell that he was quite drawn into the story.

"That's what they thought at first." Yohken said. "But not too long ago, the book he wrote suddenly became restless, as if the demons guarding it wanted to get out. The other onmyojis of the house saw that the spell had worked. Asakura Hao and Asakura Ayame have been reborn. And now," Yohken looked around. "Well, they could be in this very room, for all we know."

"And you were sent to exterminate them?" Adelaide asked, not fazed at all by the story.

"It is my family's duty to keep them from achieving their goal," Yohken said. "So I volunteered."

"Excuse me," Adelaide said. "Johann, entertain the gentleman for a little while. I'll be back in a moment."

"Certainly, my dear," Johann said.

Adelaide left the table and made her way to the door. She stood outside for a little while, letting the cool air ease the pain in her head. She took a few deep breaths.

"It is a nice night, is it not, Madame?"

Adelaide gave a start. She looked next to her to see the Patch with the long hair, the one who had smiled at her, leaning against the wall. "Forgive me," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I…didn't see you there," Adelaide replied. _That's strange. Why can't I…_ "Why aren't you inside with the others?"

"I do not like crowded rooms," he said, running his hand through his hair. "I like to be by myself whenever I can. And you?"

Adelaide shrugged. "When meeting relatives, even the worst excuses come in handy. But it is nice out. The summer is finally turning to autumn. It'll be much nicer then."

"Ah," Hao said. He had seen this girl inside. She was the one he'd smiled at. He noticed fairly quickly that he couldn't read her mind, but perhaps it was only a coincidence. She did seem a bit oblivious.

_Could it be him? _Adelaide's mind raced with questions. The only thing about him was that she couldn't read his mind. That didn't mean anything. At this point in her life, she had met many others whose mind she couldn't read, and none of them had been Hao. _Yes, but this is the Shaman Fight. What are the chances of having more than one person whose mind you can't read in the same place? Really, it could be him._

_Yes, but what if it isn't? _

They stood around in awkward silence for a little while, neither of them willing to be the first to ask.

"Um," Adelaide said. "The moon looks rather pretty tonight, does it not?"

"Yes," Hao said. "It does look nice."

She cleared her throat. "Perhaps I should go back inside. My brother will be wondering where I am."

"Of course," the priest said, a bit relieved. "Do not let me keep you, Madame."

She slipped back into the building, her face burning. When it came down to it, she hadn't been brave enough to even ask. _It could've been him, you weak little fool. You just blew your chance!_

She began to head back to where they had been sitting, but she noticed that Johann was no longer at the table. Instead, Yohken and Michela sat there, talking to each other. Could they even understand each other? She searched the room and suddenly spotted Johann speaking to one of the priests, the one who had made the announcement earlier that night. Adelaide walked towards him, and when Johann saw her, he shook hands with the priest and went to meet Adelaide.

"What was that about?" Adelaide asked, looking on to the rest of the priests who sat around the table, talking and drinking.

"The priests are looking for a place to stay, so I've offered them use of our mansion." Johann said, heading back towards the table.

Adelaide's eyes narrowed. "Aren't they going to stay here?"

"For tonight, yes," Johann said. "But they would rather be kept away from the contestants while the preliminary rounds are going on, to avoid any complications. Do not worry, my dear. They will occupy the west wing and leave us to our own duties. And they will pay us for boarding, so we can easily afford to support the extra."

"Of course," Adelaide said carefully. _Then that man…he'll be there. Perhaps…_

"Come now, Michela," Johann said when they returned to the table. "There is much to get done and we need our rest. It was good to meet you, Mr. Asakura. I hope to see you again as this competition proceeds. The best of luck to you."

"And to you as well, Doctor," Yohken said, bowing. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Adelaide Faust. I hope to see you soon as well." He turned to Michela and bowed once again, this time taking her hand and kissing it. "And it was certainly a pleasure to meet you, my dear."

Michela giggle and blushed as she curtsied and said goodbye to the man. As they went out the door, Adelaide caught sight of the long-haired man once again, sitting amongst the rest of his group. Their eyes met once again, and he waved at her. She looked away quickly, raising the hood of her cloak. A strange feeling entered her heart. _It could be him, _her mind repeated to her. _Yes, it most certainly could be him._

* * *

The morning after, Adelaide and Michela tidied up the rooms in the west wing before the Patch arrived. Adelaide suddenly regretted ever wishing to have this house be filled with people. She was tired of people. The night before had left her with a headache from the drink and the many, many thoughts of the people around her. To her, being in a room full of people was the same as drinking her weight in liquor but only experiencing the hangover. She needed a good, long rest before she was able to even step out of her room.

"Vous avez l'air malade, Madame." Michela commented as they were finishing up with one of the rooms.

"Huh?" Adelaide asked.

"She says you look sick." Remiette replied. "And you do. Are you okay, Veronique?"

Adelaide sighed. "I'm just a little tired. I didn't get much sleep last night. My mind just won't relax."

"Je vais terminer le nettoyage," Michela said. "Vous devriez vous reposer."

"She says she'll finish cleaning, and that you must go rest," Remiette said.

"I shouldn't," Adelaide said, but her reply was met by concerned looks from both the Frenchwoman and the ghost. She finally agreed to go to her room and take a short nap.

The short nap ended up taking most of the day. It was dark when her eyes opened. She sat up quickly, better rested, but a little confused. She pushed herself off the bed and went to the door, opening it just a little. She could hear voices downstairs. Rough, manly voices that she didn't recognize. She'd slept for too long.

She quickly went to her looking-glass and adjusted her hair, throwing on one of her nicer gowns. She slipped out of her room and quietly descended the staircase. She peeked through the door that led into the dining room. Most of the priests sat there, with Johann, talking and laughing merrily. Michela went back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room, bringing food and water and utensils when needed. Adelaide counted the people at the table. The man with the long hair wasn't there.

Quietly, she made her way into the kitchen. Remiette was there, sitting on the low wooden table, her legs swinging back and forth.

"You slept for a long time, Veronique," Remiette said.

"You should've woken me up when they came," Adelaide said. "Has anything happened?"

"They only got here about an hour ago." Remiette said with a shrug. "They've mostly just sat there talking and eating a lot. Except for the tall one with long hair. He hasn't eaten. He's been sitting in the other room for a while, just staring at the fire."

Adelaide looked out the door, in the direction of the sitting room. Sure enough, the man from the night before sat in one of the seats, staring into the fire.

"He looks lonely," Adelaide commented softly.

"So go talk to him," Remiette said.

"Me?" Adelaide said, looking down at the little girl.

"Why not?" Remiette said. "If you don't, who else will?"

Adelaide thought about the scene the night before. Could she handle another awkward conversation? But the look on his face made her reconsider.

Hao stared into the fire, trying to drown out the loud voices of the other priests. He was glad to be away from that noisy inn. This large house was certainly an improvement. Perhaps he'd be able to claim a room situated further away from that of the other priests. Perhaps he'd finally be able to get a good night's rest.

He heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned his head to see the young girl from the night before. What was her name again? He hadn't even asked. She carried a tray in her hands, laden with a steaming teapot and a couple of cups.

"Sorry to disturb you," she said pleasantly. "But you haven't eaten, so I figured I'd bring you something to drink." She put the tray down on the little table. "I don't know if you drink tea, but there's this little shop down the street that sells tea from China, and they have this wonderful green tea, would you like some?"

Hao smiled at her, although he was a little taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm to spend time with him. "Certainly, Madame. I should be a terrible guest to turn down such an offer."

Adelaide tried to keep her hands from shaking as she poured the tea into the cups. _Would you stop it! You're not an eleven-year-old girl! Quit acting like you've never spoken to a man before!_

She handed him his cup and sat in the chair opposite, turning her body so that she wasn't facing him head on. The warmth of the fire only increased the burning of her skin. Did she always act this way around men?

Hao sipped his tea, and a gentle smile formed on his lips. "I haven't had green tea in a very long time,"

Adelaide looked at him, surprised. "I wasn't aware that your country traded with China."

"Oh, we don't," Hao said, leaving it at that.

Adelaide looked down at her tea, thinking. What was a good conversation starter anyway? She suddenly thought back to one of her many lessons in etiquette with Clarice. _"Remember Beatrice, if you ever need to start a conversation with somebody, simply ask them about themselves. People love to talk about themselves."_

"So this country you are from," Adelaide said. "Where is it, exactly?"

Hao looked at the girl for a moment before replying. "It's not much of a country really. There are a lot of different tribes around, spread out over the entire continent. We are in the southwest of the continent. You must cross an ocean and walk many miles to get there."

"Is it nice there?" Adelaide asked.

Hao smiled. "It is different from the places you have known, Madame. The houses are made of mud and wood, and we live very close to nature. We make our shoes from the hides of animals and we weave our own clothes. We eat what we hunt and grow. It is a harsh life, but we have always been able to survive. And the land is breathtaking. There are deserts and lakes and forests beyond belief." He smiled at her. "There is more life there than you will find in many places here."

"It sounds beautiful," Adelaide said, thinking about great, open spaces where there were few people around. "I wish I could see it."

Hao laughed. "How interesting. Most women here do not like to be away from their fine things and comfortable homes."

"I am not most women," Adelaide said, sipping her tea.

They sat together, both wondering whether they should be the brave ones and just ask the other. But he wasn't sure, and she was just shy. They talked of other small things, both dancing around the same subject.

"I should go help Michela," Adelaide said after a while. "We'll have a lot of cleaning up to do."

"Thank you," Hao said. "You are good company, Madame."

"You are too," Adelaide said, realizing that she hadn't asked for the man's name. "By the—"

"Veronique," Remiette said, appearing in front of her. "Michela needs your help. The men just finished eating and they left a heap for you to do."

"Of course," Adelaide replied. "Goodnight, monsieur."

Hao watched the girl go, thinking. She could certainly be Ayame, couldn't she? But he couldn't help thinking about how Ayame had really seemed to him. She had been far kinder, far sweeter, and far more beautiful than any of the girls he had met so far. Even this one, the little blonde who seemed to blush every time he spoke, she could be her, but she just…wasn't.

"Was he the man you were looking for?" Remiette asked as Adelaide cleared the table.

Adelaide shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Why the long face?" Remiette asked.

Adelaide shrugged again. She was deep in her own mind, trying to find a way for this whole scenario to make any sense. That whole time she wondered if he was really him. If the man who sat before her was her Hao, the man she had fallen in love with five-hundred years ago, the man she had married and sworn her faith and trust to. Was this new man, with his gentle smile and deep voice, was he her Hao?

It was very late when they finally finished cleaning up. Most of the priests had excused themselves and gone to bed. Adelaide wiped her hands on a clean rag and bid goodnight to Michela and Remiette. She didn't feel too tired yet, but she was glad to be able to return to the safety of her own room. She lit the single candle, and removed her gown, so that she was only in her chemise and underskirt. She sat before her vanity, undoing her plaits and brushing her long, blonde hair out.

The fire was almost out, and Hao couldn't find any more wood to stoke it with. Everyone else was already upstairs, either sleeping or getting ready for bed. It was quiet down here, and pleasant. He wanted to stay here all night and relax in the silence, but it would probably get cold without a fire going. He sighed with frustration. Perhaps it was time to find his room.

He walked up the stairs and looked around. Now where had that European man said they would be staying? He hadn't been paying much attention when they were being shown around the house. He wasn't too used to these big estates that these rich, white people were convinced that they needed.

Finally, he decided that he would just choose whatever room didn't seem to be occupied. He could hear the thoughts of all the Patches down one of the halls, so he decided to go to one that sounded emptier. He finally found a room that didn't seem to have anybody inside. He reached for the handle and opened the door.

The sight that greeted him, though, was not an empty room, but Adelaide, sitting before a mirror in nothing but her underwear. She turned quickly, a surprised sound emitting her lips, and managing to knock down the candle. It fell to the floor, the flame going out, and engulfing them in complete darkness.

"I…I'm terribly sorry, Madame," Hao said quickly. "I did not mean to startle you. I thought the room was empty."

"It's okay," Adelaide said quickly. She dropped to her knees, searching for the candle. "Did you see where the candle fell?"

"Here," Hao said, closing the door and dropping down as well. "I'll help you look." They searched in total darkness, neither really aware of where the other was, until Hao's hand suddenly found Adelaide's.

The two paused for a moment, both a little surprised.

"Your hand is quite warm, Madame," Hao said softly.

"Yes," Adelaide replied, feeling herself blush. "You should not trouble yourself with me, Monsieur. I was just about to go to bed."

"Forgive me," Hao said. "But I don't even know your name."

Adelaide smiled. "I do not know which name to give you, Monsieur."

"Do you have many names?" Hao asked, amused.

"I have my birth names, my gypsy name, my German name, even my French name," Adelaide replied. "But I also have a name that only one person may call me by."

"And what name is that?" Hao asked.

Adelaide tried to look at the man in front of her, despite the darkness, but all she could see was a faint outline. "Ayame."

There was a silence. The word hung in the air with a mixture of relief and uncertainty. Adelaide felt Hao's hand leave her own. She felt it come up to her cheek, and it rested there for a few moments. Then he muttered a few words under his breath, and she flinched when she felt her cheek begin to burn, then saw on his cheek a mark beginning to appear, glowing in the darkness. A dark red pentagram, which looked hastily drawn. They stared in disbelief at each other, and soon, the marks began to fade.

"Ayame," Hao said, pulling her into his arms.

"It's you," Adelaide said, feeling tears come to her eyes. "Hao, I…" She shook her head, pressing herself against him. "I thought I'd never see you again."

He kissed her quickly, feverishly, and she felt the world fall apart right then and there.

"I'm here," he whispered to her, holding her as close as possible. "Ayame, don't cry. I'm here now. I've missed you so much. Don't cry."

"It's been five-hundred years," Adelaide said softly. "All that time in Hell itself, and then living without you," she laid her head on his shoulder. "You don't know how alone I was."

"It's over now," Hao said, holding her gently. "You'll never be alone again, my love. I promise."


	13. Chapter 13

**I haven't updated in a very long time, and this is a very uneventful chapter. Sorry. I'll try to get back into writing this, but I've been pretty busy lately, so it might be a while. Enjoy!**

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"It won't be long now," Hao said quietly, staring out the window. The night was closing in quickly. Already the weather was getting colder and colder.

"Hm," Adelaide leaned against him, staring at nothing in particular. "There are many shamans in the tournament, but more are being eliminated each day. The preliminaries are almost over."

"The sooner the better," Hao said, holding his wife closer.

"And then what?" Adelaide asked. "Will it be like the time before? Will they send you off to that continent and have you search for that village again?"

"I'm from that village," Hao said. "If they do, it won't be an issue. But the others have chosen not to discuss anything with me. It seems that they are threatened by me, especially now that I am competing."

"They think you've stolen something," Adelaide said carefully.

"I have," Hao said.

"Something of great value?"

"It is as old as the Great Spirit itself."

Adelaide turned to look at Hao, a questioning look on her face. He smiled back at her. "Would you like me to show it to you?"

Adelaide nodded. Hao continued to smile, extending his hand and calling out, "Spirit of Fire!"

In a wave of heat, a red spirit emerged. Adelaide held her breath, looking at the massive spirit that now dominated her bedroom. Its head almost touched the ceiling. It stared at her with its cold, dark eyes.

"Hao," Adelaide said. "You stole an elemental spirit?"

"Don't be angry," Hao replied. "It is for the sake of winning the Shaman Fight. I'll never get far with a regular spirit, even with my power. I need a spirit with enough Reyoku to open up my path to victory." He shrugged. "I'll return it once I win."

"A spirit like this only gains strength by consuming other souls." Adelaide looked at Hao. "Hao, I know how much you want to win, and I know that you won't stop until you have, but…" she laid her hand on his arm. "There are ways to be happy without risking your life and the lives of others in this fight."

Hao's expression darkened a little. "You're right, Ayame, I won't stop. Not until this world is cleansed of humanity."

"Hao," Adelaide said quickly. "We are being hunted. The Asakura family sent out one of our own descendants to come destroy us. They know of your plans, and they don't like them. Not every shaman is going to support you. Humans are a huge part of the earth."

Hao took a step back, releasing himself from her grip. "I hadn't realized how much you've changed, Ayame. You used to respect my ideals."

"I respected the man who stood for what was right; the man who was kind to me when nobody else was. Not the man who would gladly kill man, woman, and child just to get what he wants."

"I am your husband!" Hao said, louder than before.

"And I am your wife, Hao," Adelaide said, not allowing herself to back away. "And I love you more than I could ever say. I've spent the last five hundred years waiting for you, searching everywhere and facing countless failures." She laid her hands on his shoulders. "I love you," she said gently. "But I want you to respect my own ideals. I'm not going to be as I was before. I'm not going to support the things you do just because of what I am to you. I won't stop you, Hao, but I won't fight for you either." She looked deeply into his eyes. "I can't."

Hao shook his head. "No, of course not. I'm sorry." He sighed. "I won't force you to do anything." He took her in his arms again and leaned his forehead on his. "I've missed you so much, Ayame."

"No one's called me that in so long," she said quietly. "Sometimes I forget who I am. Sometimes I forget that long ago, I was married to this wonderful man, and I had a wonderful life. But I'm starting to remember now." She kissed his lips lightly. "I'm remembering what it's like to be happy."

"I'll make sure you never forget again," Hao said, kissing her back.

They left Europe after the preliminaries ended. Just as Adelaide had thought, the contestants and the priests were to go to the continent across the sea, where the fight would be continued. The remaining contestants, as well as their families and any other people willing to go with them, entered the ship which would become their new abode and set sail.

Many months would go by before any of them felt land beneath their feet again. The contestants mostly kept to themselves, not willing to befriend these people who would one day become their enemies. Sometimes fights would break out for no reason and the priests would be forced to step in and stop it.

One morning, Adelaide woke before Hao. She was still trying to get used to this unstable ship which never seemed to give her time to breathe. She had learned fairly quickly that the ocean was not her favorite place, but she put up with it. She lay there in their hard little bed, looking at her husband, thinking. He was fast asleep. She admired his ability to be comfortable in almost any place, no matter the situation.

She kissed him gently on the cheek before pulling herself out of the warm bed. It was still too early for anyone else to be up. She laced up one of her more casual dresses and let her hair fall loosely around her. No point in doing herself up nowadays. She grabbed her coat and went up on deck.

Nobody was up there, just as she suspected. The sun was barely rising, and mist covered them almost entirely. She leaned against the railing and let her thoughts drift.

"Lovely morning, isn't it, Madame Adelaide?" A voice said behind her.

She turned to see Yohken coming towards her, his usual smirk on his face.

"Yes," Adelaide said, not really in the mood to talk.

Yohken leaned on the railing next to her. "Why so quiet? You've seemed pretty aloof since we last met."

"I'm not a big fan of the sea," Adelaide said. "It makes me very dizzy."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he replied. "The sea is a wonderful place. A great number of things can happen here if you're not careful."

Adelaide turned to him. "Was there something you wanted, Yohken?"

"I was simply wondering a few things about your…companion."

"You mean my husband?" Adelaide said.

"Yes, that Patch priest," Yohken said. "I'm simply curious as to how a German girl comes to be married to a man who's never stepped foot in Europe before."

"How could you know something like that?" Adelaide asked calmly. "The Patch have a great deal of technology. They can come and go as they please, even if nobody knows about it."

"So you've known him for a long time?" Yohken asked.

"Oh yes," Adelaide said. "I'm knows him for a very long time."

Yohken smiled. "And the marriage is going well?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

He turned his back to the sea. "Because you don't seem to be much happier now that you've found him."

"You don't know me very well, then." Adelaide said. She straightened up. "I'm going back to my cabin. Goodbye, Yohken."

"If anything happens between you two," Yohken said. "You know where to find me."

Adelaide tried not to glower at this comment. She walked back to her room, leaving the Japanese man on the deck of the ship, looking after her.

"Something's off about those two," he said quietly, his smile gone.

"Yes," Matamune said, appearing at his master's feet. "Everything about them seems very strange." He turned to Yohken. "What do you think we should do?"

"Give it a little time," Yohken said. "I want to find out a little more about them. Especially this priest."

* * *

**Hope you're having a good day in your life :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**So I finally got around to writing a new chapter. Yay! Hopefully I'll be able to finish this eventually. Still no guarantees. Sorry, but it all depends on how long inspirations lasts for me.**

* * *

The boy who was to become the Shaman King in the Shaman Fight of 1500 was by no means imposing. He was of small stature and smaller confidence. His skin was the color of coffee, and his black hair fell over his dark eyes in a thick, tangled mass. He asked a lot of questions and had a natural curiosity that made most people around him either smile or throw up their hands in irritation. He didn't speak to a lot of people, though, but mostly because he came from a remote place and spoke a language that few people knew. He was only thirteen when he won the Shaman Fight.

As small as he was, he had a very large soul, one that was noticed right away by the Patch officials, mainly Hao. He would look at this small child who entered the fight and thought that, even though he wasn't remarkably strong, he did pose a threat.

They had already spent about a month at sea, and Adelaide was finally starting to get used to the feeling. She and Hao stood on the deck of the large ship and watched the little boy with the large amount of furyoku walk along the deck, staring out into the ocean. He didn't look sad or scared or even remotely worried. There was a look of curiosity that seemed fixed to his face. It was as if all he wanted was to know all about the world.

"God knows what he's doing here," Adelaide said to Hao. "He's nothing but a child." Hao knew she didn't mean it in a condescending way. She carried a tone of worry that only a mother would have.

"I don't know," Hao said. "People come to the Shaman Fight for all sorts of reasons. Trouble at home, lack of money. Maybe there's something he wants to achieve."

"How terrible," Adelaide said. Hao saw the way she was looking at the little boy; how sad she looked. "I wonder if he has a family. They must be terribly worried."

Hao kept looking at his wife for a time. Finally, he spoke up. "Ayame," he said gently. "Is something wrong?"

Adelaide shrugged. "I'm just thinking about what it must be like for a mother to raise a child only for him to take off and sacrifice himself for a competition like this." She turned around and stared off into the horizon. "It must be heartbreaking for them."

"I think you're thinking about it too much," Hao said, rubbing her back. "Why are you so worried about some kid, anyway?"

"That's what mothers do, isn't it?" Adelaide said quietly. "They worry."

They both stood in sad silence for some time before Adelaide spoke up again, and this time her words were hardly a whisper. "I'm pregnant."

Hao didn't speak. He pulled his wife into his arms and held her tightly, kissing the top of her head. He didn't have to say anything, because they remembered the first time. They remembered the night their first child was born, and how Hao didn't get to meet his baby, and how Adelaide had been dragged away minutes after his birth. They both remembered very clearly, and they both stayed quiet.

"Isn't it too early to tell?" Hao finally asked.

"Faust told me," Adelaide replied.

"The German you were living with?"

"He's a doctor," Adelaide said. "He would know."

Hao paused. "I'll be stronger this time," He said. "Nothing bad will happen. I promise."

Adelaide shook her head. "There's no use making promises. I believe that you'll do your best to protect us, Hao, but everything is unsure now." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm still very worried."

"It'll be okay," Hao said gently. "We'll be okay. I'll win this time."

"I know you will," Adelaide replied, kissing his cheek. But she wasn't sure, and he knew that she wasn't sure, but they both kept quiet because they wanted to believe that everything would be okay.

* * *

Word of Adelaide's pregnancy spread around the ship fairly quickly, because it was very hard to keep a secret in such a small space, even though it was a fairly large ship. People whom she'd never met before came up to her to congratulate her and give her their blessings. The women on the ship, especially, spent a lot of time with her, making sure that she was healthy. They worried that there would be complications if it took too long to get to the Patch Village, but the priests assured them that they only had a little more time at sea, and it wouldn't take very long to reach the village once they hit land.

Hao didn't like the extra attention, but he stayed quiet. He had gone through this thing before, and all he could do is stand back and leave the women to their fussing. He always found it so daunting how something as simple and natural as the birth of a child could bring out the sides of people never usually seen. Even the other priests, who had at one point been opposed to him and wanted nothing than for him to drop the fight, congratulated them warmly. Those who were already fathers offered him their advice, which he took quietly, because the truth was that he knew very little about parenting. He knew only what he had cared to witness, and quite frankly, it worried him.

He wasn't very worried about protecting his family. He was strong, and it would take a much stronger shaman to defeat him. He worried more about maintaining the family. He had been married to Ayame for a while now. He knew her better than anyone, and he knew how to please her. It was a sound marriage, in his opinion. Even after 500 years of separation, they were right back to how they had always been. It was comforting.

But the prospect of having a child among them – a new creature with its own soul and mind and ideas – scared him to no end. He had been prepared for it in his first lifetime. At least, he thought he'd been prepared. Now, after such a long time of thinking on it, he realized he really didn't know what he would've done if he hadn't been executed. Could he really raise a child? What if the child grew up hating him, his father, for his morals and ideals? What if this child opposed him? Could he bear something like that?

When he related his thoughts to Adelaide, she laughed, which confused him.

"Why are you so worried about this now?" Adelaide asked, smiling at him. They were back on the deck, sunset falling over the horizon. The Patch had just announced that the ship would most likely reach land within the next few days.

"I know I shouldn't be," Hao said. "I didn't feel this way the first time, but for some reason now I can't help thinking about it." His gaze went to Adelaide's stomach, then back to her face. "Do you think he'll like me?"

"We don't know if it's a boy yet," Adelaide said. She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I think he, or she, will love you. It'd be very hard not to."

She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the little boy with dark skin, the one who liked to stare at the horizon for endless hours, standing before her. At his side stood a girl, a little older than he, with a very similar appearance.

"Gigi and I wish to give blessing," the girl said brokenly with a strange accent. "Anjea has visited."

"Anjea?" Adelaide asked.

The girl nodded. "She is goddess. She reincarnates soul and makes child," she pointed to Adelaide's stomach. "Your child. You are blessed. We give our blessing." The boy, whom they assumed to be Gigi, pulled out a string of leather, in which a single fang hung. He wordlessly handed it to Adelaide.

"It is of ngana," the girl said, smiling. When it looked like Adelaide didn't understand, she thought for a moment. "Eh…big fish. Strong fish."

"Shark?" Hao offered.

"Yes," the girl brightened. "Is of shark. Shark is strong and powerful. He swims and protects." She reached over and touched Adelaide's hand gently. "Is our gift to Anjea's blessing."

Gigi smiled widely. It was the biggest smile either of them had witnessed on this little boy since they'd first laid eyes on him. Hao looked at Adelaide, and saw that there were tears in her eyes. She looked at the necklace in her hand, then back at the children who stood before her.

"Thank you," she said, though her voice shook a bit. Hao laid his hand on her shoulder, and he was surprised to see that she was smiling. Pregnant women had always been odd to him. Only they would laugh and cry about a piece of jewelry.

The young girl and the little boy named Gigi left with the same quiet innocence with which they had entered. Gigi went back to staring at the horizon, and the girl, whom they assumed to be his older sister, disappeared before deck.

Adelaide wiped her eyes. "Pregnancy," she laughed. "It does strange things to my mood."

Hao looked wearily at her. "Maybe you should go down to bed. The priests are holding a meeting soon, but I'll be down as soon as I can." He kissed the top of her head. "Get some rest."

Adelaide nodded. She put the shark-tooth necklace in her pocket and began to walk away. She paused after a few steps and looked back. "I think you'll be a wonderful father, Hao. Just wonderful."

With that, she turned back around and walked quietly down the stairs. Hao watched her until she was out of sight. "I hope so," he muttered. "I really hope so."

* * *

**There it is! So, just a few things. I don't actually claim to know anything about Aboriginal culture other than what I've read about on Wikipedia or seen in movies. I was just looking for a nice culture with awesome mythology, so I kind of pieced this together. I got the word for shark from a piece of Australian music I performed back in January. It's pretty awesome music, and it did teach me a bit about the culture. We also know very little about the previous Shaman King, so I thought to myself: Why not make him an Australian kid? That would piss Hao off more than anything! **

**Other than that, I hope you're still reading this story. It certainly hasn't turned out like I'd been planning for it to turn out, but I am pleased with it. I will hopefully have the next chapter up before summer vacation, but again, no guarantees. **


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm glad I'm finding a route to take with this story. I was beginning to lose faith in it, but huzzah! I have succeeded in continuing it despite my dwindling number of ideas! Be warned that things will begin to seem a little darker from this point on. No more happy lovers…for now. I do hope you are enjoying it so far. I hope to be writing more soon, but finals are coming up, and the constant stress is becoming a bit of an issue, so forgive me if nothing happens between now and the end of the school year.**

* * *

Hao had never been fond of doctors. There was something about scientific thought – as opposed to thought purely based on spiritual knowledge – that made him nervous. Already he could see the beginnings of transformation in the earth. Technology, especially among those Europeans, was changing into something disagreeable. Humans were gaining knowledge that Hao believed should be kept either hidden, or far from their reach. These "doctors," the people meant to fix disease and find cures, only made it worse. They "studied" and "researched," which were two things that Hao believed humans should stay far away from. He wished humans came with a little less imagination; it would keep him from worrying so much.

But there were other reasons for his dislike for these scientific people. One reason was because they searched, above all else, for truth. They took the time to find out things that others were either too busy, or two uneasy to inquire about. And they always, always brought bad news.

"You mean to tell me she could die?"

Faust blinked a couple of times. He had never known any man to be so straightforward and blunt over news such as this man had just received. Faust had even taken extra measures to prepare him for the worst, asking him to come in and take a seat, even offering a cup of tea. But this man, this obscure Patch priest who always wore an easy expression, would hear nothing but what Faust really had to say.

"Not necessarily," Faust said. He had always been bad at this part: the explaining. Of course, Faust was not a common doctor. Sure, he helped locals now and then, had attended a few births, performed a few surgeries, and so on, but his true talents lay in the realm of research. He was an inquirer, the asker of questions which shouldn't be asked. It was thrilling. He knew things other researchers and doctors wouldn't begin to understand. But this brought its own problems. After all, with knowledge comes a great, terrible burden.

"Explain yourself," Hao said, keeping his expression calm. He had studied this man named Faust before. He had been curious of just how well this man knew Ayame, and why it was that she'd chosen to assist him. What he found was a mind filled a strange jumble of many, many things, some which Hao could scarcely begin to make sense of. The man's sanity seemed to be tethered with a rope at the edge of a cliff, with only a few moments left before the rope snapped. It didn't alarm Hao, but it made him wary. His mind contained no actual timeline or chronological memory of events, only…happenings; chaos. Hao couldn't follow one thought without getting lost in a clutter of others. Perhaps that was what Ayame liked about him.

Faust cleared his throat, sitting back in his chair. "I have been studying medicine since I was very young. I have been researching methods of healing that involve more advanced techniques than what is currently in use. My techniques as a shaman have managed to aid me in this study, since a person's physical body is very much connected to their soul."

"I don't need a backstory," Hao said, although he was very polite when he said this. "My wife has told me much about you, so I believe that I can trust your knowledge. What I want to now is if my wife's condition is a fatal one."

Faust pursed his lips. He hated this. He had always done his best to be good with people, to be kind and polite, and above all else, confident. But there was a part of him – the small, scared part that wanted nothing more than to lock himself in his room all day and read whatever he could get his hands on – that hated the mere sight of other human beings. "She has a rare condition, one that very few people, even the most advanced doctors, are aware of. It is nothing serious, of course," Faust said this as reassuringly as he possibly could. "I myself have never seen it in person, but it is something to watch out for."

"What does it entail?" Faust worried at how calm this man was. He, of course, knew very little about married life, having only his parents as a control, (and even that was a very, very unreliable source), but he was sure that there should be much more concern over something like this.

"There are possibilities of…complications with the birth," Faust said. "Adelaide has informed me that she has constant headaches, and I have noticed that her ankles are swelling. It is very unlikely that anything will happen, but if something does happen, it could kill both mother and child."

Hao's brow furrowed, but he kept his eyes levelly on the blonde German. "Under what circumstances would such problems arise?"

"It is impossible to say," Faust said. "I have never had the chance to study such a thing up close, and those who have have left very inconclusive analysis behind. As it is, we may never know until it happens."

"Then all we can do is pray for the best?" Hao asked.

"We can see to her health, and make sure that she is well cared for," Faust replied. "I yearn for the day when we can do more, but for now you must see that she eats well and stays well rested."

Hao sat thoughtfully for a few moments. "The traveling is bound to make it worse," he said. "We will be touching land rather soon, and the journey to the Patch village is long."

"I'm sorry for having worried you," Faust stated, although he wasn't sure if he'd actually done so.

"No, I'm very glad you spoke up. At least now we'll be wary of it." Hao remarked, and he was surprised at his own honesty. After all, this was his wife he was talking about. He was well aware that he was coming off as somewhat…aloof over the whole thing. But what could they do? Both he and Ayame had lived long enough to know that sometimes the world throws obstacles that one must climb over, no matter the pain or amount of blood lost.

When he thought of his unborn child, though, another feeling arose. It was a feeling prompted by the body rather than the mind; a protective feeling. He had gone through this before, even if not in the same way. Their first lifetime, their first attempt at creating a family, despite it being a complete failure, had started off with an almost unwise amount of hope. They were young, eager, and by all means filled with love and ambition and desire, and very little logic. Now, both of them were on edge, Hao especially. He knew that the only way to guarantee this child's safety was to guarantee Ayame's safety, and that was a very hard thing to do in a fight where you were the prime target. It wasn't to say that Hao was worried. He had, after all, studied far longer and achieved more than any of these incompetent buffoons. But still, the last few moments of his first life stayed engraved in his mind, playing and replaying over and over. _I have to do better this time…I must keep them safe._

_Easier said than done, my friend. _

Hao shook himself out of his thoughts. "I must be going, Doctor. Thank you for informing me." He rose from the hard wooden chair where he had been sitting, heading for the door of the little room.

"Of course," said Faust, rising as well. He cleared his throat. "I know I come off as rather strange, but I have become fond of Adelaide in these past few years, and I do hope for the best for the both of you."

"Thank you," Hao replied. He left before it could get any more uncomfortable. The doctor's thoughts, although harmless, caused far more confusion that he found agreeable. It also irked him a little that the man still called his wife Adelaide, a name that Hao wasn't very fond of.

Hao walked quietly towards the room he shared with Ayame. It was still early afternoon, but his wife had taken to sleeping a lot lately, hoping to get rid of the horrible migraines that plagued her these days. She had waved it off as seasickness, but now Hao knew better.

He suddenly caught sight of Yohken, the Asakura that was attempting to find him and Ayame. He was walking with an easy expression, his hand wrapped around his long monk's staff. When he caught sight of Hao, his smile widened, but he didn't say anything. The two passed each other, only sharing eye contact briefly before Hao turned his eyes away and looked forward.

Suddenly, Hao felt something in the air change. He turned around quickly, holding out his hand, and destroying the attack that the monk had just thrown at him. It had been a very, very powerful attack, but one that Hao could destroy with ease. Down the hall, Yohken looked back at him, a full smile covering his face.

"Well, that is to be expected, isn't it, Asakura Hao?" Yohken said. He took a few steps forward. "I was almost beginning to doubt myself, but of course it had to be. You stand out like a pink flower in a black field."

"And I thought I was being subtle." Hao replied, facing the monk full on. "I suppose you're the Asakura's only hope? I have to say, I'm a little disappointed."

"There's no need to play games," Yohken said. "I'm not going to kill you yet."

"Oh?" Hao said. "I suppose you're not yet strong enough to take me on. Well, take your time, little student. It's all pointless anyway."

Yohken kept his expression stable, but Hao could see his mind, and the calm shown on the outside did not reflect the worry on the inside. This man was scared of him, but he was putting on a cocky attitude so as not to show it. Pathetic.

"So tell me," Hao stopped Yohken before he could leave. "Why shouldn't I kill you now?"

Yohken looked back at Hao, the cocky smile returning. "You shouldn't cause a ruckus on a ship like this, not with all the rising tension. Everyone's just itching for a fight to break out. A murder might just send the whole boat over the edge. Think of your wife's safety. You wouldn't want her in the middle of a brawl, would you?"

"My wife could destroy this whole ship without batting an eyelash," Hao replied. "As a matter of fact, so could I."

"Then why don't you?" Yohken asked.

Hao shrugged. "Fair play, I suppose. It's never any fun to win by default."

"I suppose that makes sense," Yohken said. "Is there anything else you'd like to know, Hao-sama?"

"Yes," Hao replied. "I want you to tell me about the Asakuras. I want to know what happened to my son after I was so brutally executed."

"You'll be happy to know that he lived a very fulfilling life," Yohken said. "He was raised to see you as the evil monster that you are and vowed to continue the family legacy and help bring about the descendant who would destroy you. He was one of the best masters the Asakura house ever saw, aside from you and your wife, of course."

Hao nodded. "I see." He turned away from the young monk then, and walked away. Yohken looked after him, but decided not to pursue. _All in good time,_ Yohken thought._ I'll destroy him one of these days._

Hao heard the monk's thoughts and laughed gently to himself. _Keep wishing, little student. There is much left for you to learn._

He finally returned to the cramped little room that had been their home for the past couple of months. Hao could only hope that this journey would come to an end sooner than later. He was growing so tired of the ocean, and he was eager to move on with the fight.

Ayame was in their bed, sleeping peacefully. Her long, fair hair pooled around her in waves, and her pale skin glowed in the low light. Hao was always surprised at just how much she had changed, and yet how similar she was to how she used to look. The body shapes itself around the spirit, not the other way around. Ayame had changed into a completely different person, but Hao still only saw the young, beautiful, and eternally curious woman he had met almost five hundred years ago.

Hao sat at the edge of the hard bed and lightly cupped her cheek in his hand. She breathed peacefully, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. As he looked at her, he tried to silence the voice in his head, constantly nagging about what Faust had just told him earlier.

_She'll be fine,_ Hao told himself. _She's too strong to be taken by some petty disease._

Ayame's breathing changed, and she opened her eyes. The large, blue pools stared into Hao's, unblinking. She smiled up at him.

"Something on your mind?"

Hao leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Nothing to worry yourself over, my love."

* * *

**And there it is! Like I said, it may get a bit…dramatic from now on, but it's okay! Because drama makes things awesome! Even when you're on the floor bawling because some goddam author or tv show writer thought it'd be a fantastic idea to KILL OFF YOUR FAVORITE DAMN CHARACTER SO THAT YOU'D BE LEFT TO LIE THERE AND WALLOW IN SELF-PITY BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO MOVE ON IN YOUR LIFE! GAH!…but of course, that may just be me…**

**In any case, thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**So, this is a bit of a longer chapter, but simply because I'm trying to move things along, since I feel like I've already spent far longer than necessary on this lifetime and I know you're all eager to find out what happens in the canon story, although I myself don't really know…. REGARDLESS, this is, of course, still my own spin on how the Shaman Fight of five-hundred years ago might've happened, but you'll notice that the circumstances are all fairly similar to the ones in the manga. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"He thinks me ignorant?" Adelaide asked. "I suppose that is a good thing."

"Why is that, my dear?" Faust asked. It was early morning. They looked out onto the quiet sea calmly, watching the waves roll in easy harmony. "Does he not think that you would benefit from knowing?"

"Of course not," Adelaide replied, running her hand through her hair. She had taken the habit of letting it fall naturally rather than plaiting it, as was proper for married women. "My husband is a very protective man. He wants me to feel nothing aside from happiness. If he were to tell me, it would feel like a failure in preserving my happiness. He prefers to suffer alone."

"Perhaps he believes it to be a reflection of his own strength?" Faust commented. "Although, there is nothing anyone can do, not even you. I must say, I was very surprised that you were able to detect such a disease right away. It is so rare that it does not even have a proper name. I feel incompetent for not having realized it myself."

"Do not blame yourself, Doctor. I recognized the symptoms, that is all," Adelaide replied. "Long ago, I assisted in a birth, and both the mother and the child died during the process. Her symptoms had been similar."

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Faust said. There was a small silence between them.

"He will not allow me to die," Adelaide said after a few seconds. "I'm afraid that is not an option."

Faust remained silent, not commenting on the strangeness of this statement. He remembered the moment when he had delivered the news to Adelaide's strange husband. He remembered the apathetic look and the calm demeanor. Who was this strange man who believed he could keep his wife from suffering the worst of fates?

Adelaide gave him a sidelong glance. "I wish you would've held off on telling him, if only for a little bit longer."

"You should not be left to suffer alone, either." Faust replied evenly.

"I'm afraid that's it," Adelaide said. "Hao will go out of his way to keep me from doing so. With the Shaman Fight, on top of everything else, this is not the thing he should know."

"This is his child we're speaking of," Faust replied. "In my experience with parents, it tends to be an important subject."

Adelaide took a deep breath. "I suppose he would've found out sooner or later. I don't suppose there's any sure way of preventing any accidents?"

"None that come to mind, I'm afraid." Faust replied. "I can search my books, but I have no access to sufficient information in our current situation, and I don't suppose this new world we are headed to has anything worth examining. I apologize sincerely, Adelaide, but this is a challenge we two must face alone."

"That tends to be the case," Adelaide muttered, her hand drifting to her stomach. She saw Hao emerge onto the deck of the boat, a deeply worried look on his face. She had a lot of faith in her husband's strength, but she hated seeing him so worried; so weary. He wanted nothing more than to win the Shaman Fight, to create his perfect world, a notion that Adelaide herself was skeptical about, but chose not to mention.

"Keep things as they are, Doctor." Adelaide said quietly. "He must believe that I am happy. It will ease his mind."

"If you think it will help, my dear, then I will do so." Faust replied, gazing at the Patch official who had claimed his young assistant as his wife. Adelaide left his side then and met her husband, taking his hand gently and allowing him to lead her away. Faust watched them go, his mind racing with options, possibilities, notions, and any other thing that could run through at a million miles per hour and still be discernible. He realized something that he hadn't quite realized before. He was slightly angered at the sight of the couple, although the source of it was mostly the man, Hao. Strange feelings arose within his heart, which didn't happen often, and when it did, he knew something was wrong. He observed this reaction as he observed his experiments, with a wide sense of wonder, knowing that he must pursue this sense of anger and find the cause of it.

* * *

Land was sighted early one morning, when the mist was low and the waves were calm. Not long after, the anchor was dropped and the ship stopped. Several minutes later, every passenger was on the deck, some gazing at the new land before them, some looking back longingly at the land they'd come from, and some trying to keep down that morning's breakfast out of sheer anxiety.

The Patch priests discussed things among themselves, then called all of the contestants to attention. The tall one with short hair, who seemed to have taken on the role of official spokesman, stood before the group of bewildered shamans. The rest of the priests stood behind him, creating an almost ominous line of feathers and patterns and red skin and dark hair, broken only by Adelaide's golden hair, and pale skin. She stood close to Hao, and Yohken, who stood towards the back of the contestants, couldn't help but feel a sense of "us and them."

"Everybody," the spokesman said with his booming voice. "Thank you for enduring this trip."

There was muttering within the group as questions began to pop up, but they were silenced immediately by the looks they received from the Patch.

"The Patch Village is 3,500 kilometers away," the Patch said. "Starting now, everybody please get there by on your own. We will only wait four months. We will not tell any of you how to get there." He had to raise his voice due to the outraged cried emerging from the crowd, but he kept on going. "Please remember that the Shaman Fight is a test of your strength and cunning, as only a shaman with a great amount of furyoku will be able to win. In that case, round one begins. The object of this round is to arrive at the Patch Village within four months. Thank you for your cooperation, and the best of luck to all of you. Please hold onto your things. Once this message is over, myself and the other tribesmen will disappear."

Suddenly, the ship, along with the Patch, were gone, and every contestant fell straight into the ocean. An overall sound of surprise was emitted from everyone as they struggled to remain afloat. The unlucky ones who were unable to think straight out of confusion were swept along violently by the suddenly rising tide. Others were able to put their efforts and concentration into their oversouls, finding a way back to shore. Yohken, who had taken a couple of seconds to process the situation, now paddled madly towards the shoreline, a very distressed Matamune on his back.

"You could help a little, you know," Yohken gasped in between strokes.

"I despise water," Matamune replied with distaste, clinging onto his master. "Save your breath and swim faster."

He finally made it to shore, collapsing from exhaustion and the weight of his monk's robes, now completely soaked through. He spent almost twenty minutes simply regaining his ability to breathe normally, then sat up and looked around.

He had been left behind by almost every contestant, although by the looks of it, some had not managed to make it out of the water. He looked around, and noticed another man lying on the beach not too far from him. Upon closer look, he realized it was that blonde doctor who hung around with Ayame a lot. What had been his name? Oh yes, Faust. Yohken pulled himself up, shakily walking on the sand after months spent on a ship, and walked slowly towards the still figure.

As Yohken got closer, Faust opened his eyes, blinking in the strong sunlight. He sat up slowly, a flabbergasted look upon his face.

"Need a hand?" Yohken asked, helping the man up.

"I must admit I was not expecting that," Faust said, now looking around the beach with the same surprised look. "Disappeared without a trace. Not one ounce of that ship remains. Was it possible to maintain such an oversoul for so long? If so, then the Patch are to be feared."

"Astounding," Yohken agreed. "But not something we should dwell over just yet. Not when we've been left in the dust by our fellow competitors."

"I suppose so," Faust said. "I'm afraid I wasn't able to salvage any of my personal belongings except for this," he held up a small, sealed box which held one of his many books of experimental observations as well as his medium, now his only possessions in the world. "Such a shame that the ocean has claimed the rest of my medical journals. They may come in handy." He stared nostalgically back at the sea for a few moments before looking back at Yohken. "I suppose you'll want to make an alliance?"

"A temporary one." Yohken replied. "It is not wise for a man to travel alone in an unfamiliar place. We may benefit from each other's company."

Faust looked warily upon the Japanese man. "I am inclined to accept, but know that I am aware of your interest in my dear assistant, Adelaide, and her husband. Do not think that I will be inclined to give you any information that would hurt either of them."

"That is very well," Yohken said. "Although as time passes, I'm sure you'll come to see the evils of that so-called priest and his seemingly innocent wife."

"Until that day, Mr. Yohken," Faust straightened his soaked clothes with a dignified air that only a very rich man who has been dumped into the ocean without prior notice can sustain. "Onwards."

* * *

Ayame gasped, feeling herself being pulled into cold, unfamiliar darkness. She held on to Hao's hand tightly, almost feeling her grip slip for a terrifying moment. Soon, though, the darkness fell away, and they were in a new land. The ship and the ocean and the mist were gone. Now they stood under a hot sun, surrounded by rolling deserts.

Ayame felt herself waver a little, but Hao held her up strongly. "Sorry about that," he said. "The spell can be shocking, but it's perfectly safe."

"A bit of warning never hurt anyone." Ayame said, still trying to regain her balance. She looked around. "Where did the others go?"

"They'll be back at the village," Hao replied. "Our job is to monitor the contestants throughout their journey. The others will have already gotten started."

"Then why are we out here and not with them?"

Hao took his wife's hand and began to lead her through the quiet desert. "I wanted to show you around a bit," he looked back at her. "Unless you're not feeling well. I can take you back if you'd prefer."

Ayame smiled, shaking her head. "I'm glad to be off that boat and have real ground beneath my feet. The last thing I want to do is lie down."

They began to walk once again. It was not like walking through a garden. There was very little vegetation as it was, and the sun bore down on them overhead, but it was one of the most beautiful places Ayame had ever laid eyes on. The desert was pure, untouched by human influence. The colors of the sand and the sky were bright and real. In the distance, she could see small buildings popping out of the earth, as if they had been built as an extension of it rather than over it. That was the Patch Village, the place responsible for the Shaman Fight. All around her, Ayame could sense a spiritual presence, so ancient and strong that it seemed to hum with nature itself, weaving a pleasant song. This was a sacred place.

"Soon the Great Spirit will appear." Hao said as they walked towards the village. "It appears in the village every five-hundred years, when the contestants begin to arrive."

"Have you ever seen it before?" Ayame asked.

Hao shook his head. "I didn't get the chance to last time, and the Patch don't get to see it until it arrives. But I have heard it before, many times." He looked at the village with a look that Ayame knew all too well. "It's so powerful."

"Be careful, Hao," Ayame said gently. "Don't let this fight go to your head."

"I'll do everything in my power to win," Hao said, and Ayame knew that he wanted that to be final, but she wouldn't have it.

"You will do everything in your power to survive," Ayame snapped back. They had stopped walking, and she stood before him with a calm, yet strong expression on her face. "I have already spend a lifetime searching for you. I will not do it again. We have a child to think of, Hao, and the Great Spirit itself knows that I will not let you set your family aside only to get yourself killed."

"Ayame, you—"

"No." Ayame's face was still deadly calm. There wasn't a single hint of anger or reproach within it, and yet Hao had to admit that he had never felt more terrified. Never cross a pregnant woman. Perhaps he should've taken that advice far more seriously. "I will not have it. Understand?"

In situations like this, Hao knew not to argue. "Of course, my love." He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. "Let me show you the village."

They did not speak of the fight for the rest of the day, and if they did, they stuck to general subjects, because neither of them really wanted to face the fact that Hao's desire went far deeper than what his wife was able to see, or so he thought. But Ayame knew more than Hao gave her credit for, although she blamed that on societal norms on marriage, which, of course, were not to be trusted by anyone sensible enough to challenge society. Ayame knew her husband very well; well enough to see that he was constantly thinking about the fight, and it would take more than persuasion through words to get him to tone it down.

_What can you do, anyway? _That small voice in Ayame's head suddenly appeared out of nowhere, although this was neither the time nor the place. _A wife's job isn't to defy her husband's intentions and desires. Your job is to support him through all of his endeavors, quietly and submissively. Haven't you learned anything these past five-hundred years?_

_ Shut up! _Ayame screamed back at it. Quietly and submissively? Was that what was expected of her? She looked back at her years with Hao, at always being on his right hand, of assisting him through everything. It had always been Hao and his wife. Hao and his loving, devoted wife. Hao and his quiet, submissive, and weak wife.

_No. _She used the same tone in her thoughts as she had with Hao earlier. _Not anymore. I love my husband with all my heart, but if he puts my life in danger again, or if something happens to my baby because of him…_

_ What? _The voice asked. _You spent this lifetime in search of him. You defied celestial laws by reincarnating yourself. You ran away from the family that raised you and fed you, you left behind the Gypsy family that tried to do that as well, and now you've returned to the same stagnant position as before. What are you doing to yourself, Ayame? Would you leave behind the only man who will ever accept you for who you really are? Who do you think you are, Ayame? _

"You seem distracted," Hao commented quietly as they walked through the bustling village. Other Patch people of the tribe went about their daily business, cooking, weaving baskets, hanging chile to dry, and most stopping to stare in wonder at the pale-skinned woman who stood out of place in the sea of dark skin.

Ayame smiled reassuringly at Hao. "I'm fine, my love. But," she bit the inside of her cheek for doing this, for appearing weak, but she needed time to think. "I am feeling a bit tired. Could I go rest for some time?"

Hao gave her a worried look that said more to her than he might have liked, but quickly replaced it with an easy smile. "Of course." They wove through the streets of the strange village, neither of them really willing to speak about the real things that troubled them, for fear that something might ruin this one moment of actual togetherness that they hadn't experienced in such a long time.

* * *

**So, since it's late and I'm basically only awake right now thanks to a large amount of sugar and caffeinated beverages, I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes, but I seriously just wanted to upload this chapter, because although I'm a little confused as to where Ayame's inner rant suddenly came from, I think it was about time she realized this, since I don't think it'd be like her at all to follow Hao blindly for very long before she realized that he's seriously wacked. Yay for feminism! But don't worry, she still loves him and is actually just looking for a way to help him. Although, whether or not she succeeds remains to be seen. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Hallo! Well, it's been a while, but finals almost killed me, and then I went on a super long road trip to go to a wedding. It was pretty exhausting, but it was a nice wedding, and the food was very good. I'm trying to recover from my twenty-four hour drive there and back. I like weddings.**

* * *

A fire brightened the large cavern, illuminating the ancient pictures covering the walls. On the ceiling of the cavern, a drawing showed the two sacred comets as they circled the Earth. Beyond the fire's light lay endless darkness. It had been this way for a few hours now. Morning was nowhere in sight.

Xylo sat before the fire, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She felt bitter, hateful, and physically exhausted. It's amazing what jealousy will do to you. But she wouldn't dare admit that to anyone, especially to herself. She wasn't jealous. Of course she wasn't. Why should she be? She was the chief of the most important tribe on the earth, the tribe that helped find the new shaman king. She was powerful and had many suitors. She had no need to feel jealousy of anybody.

But that woman, that yellow-haired, pale-faced girl that Hao had brought with him to the village, made her burn from the inside out. Xylo had never laid eyes on someone such as Ayame. She had never left the Patch village in her life, and although she had expected to see many strange people in the shaman fight, she never thought she'd feel threatened by them. Ayame hadn't just threatened her; she had crushed her dreams without even noticing.

Xylo stoked the fire with a wooden stick, biting her lip. She recalled the first time she set eyes on Ayame. The strange woman had been walking alongside Hao, their hands clasped together. Xylo had noticed this before anything else, and then quickly went on to notice the woman's stomach, now large and quite noticeable. At the sight of this, Xylo could feel her deepest hopes rip quite audibly at the seams.

Xylo had not left her cavern since that day. Some of the priests worried, but she came up with whatever excuse she could muster and sat for hours before the fire, letting her anger and sorrow run until she had nothing left. She wasn't a violent person by nature, but she felt better not being around anyone while she felt these terrible emotions. She didn't want to hurt anybody, especially not…

_Stop. _Xylo took a deep breath. Just breathe deeply and let it go. There was no need to mourn what was lost. That's what she'd been taught since childhood, along with all the other Patch boys and girls. No one knew better than them that life is brief and invariably ends in death. They knew it and celebrated it, because they knew where they were and where they were going, and nothing gave them more comfort. They knew that everything ended sooner or later, and there was nothing to be done about it.

But that didn't make it any less painful.

The fire popped. Xylo closed her eyes and kept breathing. She was exhausted and she felt horrible. She was letting her emotions get in the way of her duty, and that made her angrier. This was the Shaman Fight, after all. Her job was to make sure the tournament ran smoothly and without complications. Instead, she was creating complications.

Xylo's eyes snapped open, aware that something about the cavern had changed. She looked to the entrance, and realized that there was somebody standing there, just outside the firelight. Xylo strained her eyes to see who it was, and realized that she was seeing the outline of a woman.

"Forgive me," a voice with a strange accent said. "Would you mind a bit of company?"

Xylo looked at the woman in surprise. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the long yellow hair and swollen belly. She would've felt quite angry had she not felt quite confused instead.

"What are you doing here?" Xylo asked. It sounded harsher than she'd intended, but she didn't care. At this point, this woman was the last person she wanted to see.

Ayame smiled kindly, sitting on the other side of the fire, directly across from Xylo. "I cannot say. I've been wandering around a lot lately. I know I shouldn't be, what with so close to the baby coming, but this place is so beautiful." She looked at Xylo. "You're the chief, right?"

"I…" Xylo blinked a few times. She'd expected this woman to be quite unpleasant. She felt taken aback. "I am Xylo. Messenger to the Great Spirit."

Ayame nodded frankly. "My name is Ayame. I was once an apprentice to a very strong onmyoji from Japan." She gave Xylo a very steady look, and Xylo had the impression of looking into the eyes of a very old woman. "I can tell you don't like me much."

Xylo looked down. She had a tendency of being very easy to read. That's why she liked to be out of sight when she was upset. She didn't reply.

Ayame looked at Xylo quietly. She had encountered this many times. She was very much aware of the way many women viewed her husband. It had never been a particularly big problem, but it still made her a little uncomfortable. Still, Xylo had been raised with Hao. She had known him all her life, even though he had never made much of an effort to know her. In the Patch, the chief usually has her choice of partner, and Xylo had always known who she would've liked to choose. It must be terrible to have your dreams crushed so suddenly.

"I do not feel that I must apologize for your current situation," Ayame said, although she was not cold or mean about it. "But you must realize that Hao is not who you think he is."

"He is exactly who I think he is," Xylo said quietly. "I love him."

Ayame looked at her sympathetically. "Hao does not see love the way others do. The truth is that he would've made you very unhappy."

"You say that so that I do not feel sad about it, and yet you're carrying his child." Xylo replied. "Does he not make you happy?"

"I am happy to be with him," Ayame said. She looked down, as if in thought. "But he worries me."

Xylo's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Ayame paused for a few moments. "Is it common for a priest to participate in the fight?"

Xylo shrugged. "I suppose not. I haven't seen it mentioned in any of the records. But there aren't any rules against it. The Great Spirit seems to be okay with it."

Ayame nodded. "I don't suppose it would be anything to worry about, but I want you to be aware of the fact that Hao does not give up easily. He will do anything to win."

"Why are you telling me this?" Xylo asked. "Shouldn't you be supportive of him?"

"There's only so far I'm willing to go," Ayame said. "And I don't think he knows that yet. I just want you to be wary of him. He will cause damage if he needs to."

"How could you say that if you hardly know him?" Xylo accused. "I've known Hao all my life. I know what he can do."

"Then tell me I'm wrong." Ayame said patiently.

Xylo was about to reply, but instead began to look back at the years she had spent watching Hao. It was true that he was quite a bit different from the rest of the Patch. He did not interact with anyone unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then he spoke steadily and without much emotion. He hardly smiled, and when he looked at other people, it did not seem to Xylo like he was actually seeing anyone living, but another object in his path. He was ruthless when fighting, but did not hunt with the other men. He was quiet and spent most of his time in solitude, never bothering to take part in any actual ceremony or social even that the Patch deemed sacred. But that didn't mean he was evil…did it? In any case, why should she believe anything that this pale-skinned woman was telling her? She could just be lying in order to scare Xylo away.

"I know you are skeptical, as you should be," Ayame said steadily. "All I ask is that you keep it in mind." She looked at Xylo. "I love my husband dearly, but he is not the man I once knew, and that scares me. I should be very wary of him, if I were you." With that, Ayame pulled herself up with more grace than should be possible for a woman so close to giving birth, and left the cavern quietly.

Xylo stared into the fire once more, this time her mind trying to figure out what it was that Ayame had meant. The way she spoke of Hao, one would think that she'd known him for a lifetime rather than a few brief months. But it wasn't possible for them to have met any other way. Hao had spent his entire life in the village before the fight started, and she had never seen this woman before.

Sooner or later, the fire began to die out, but Xylo remained in her conflicted state, as she would for the next few days.

* * *

The contestants began to arrive near the close of the third month and into the fourth month. Yohken and Faust were among the first to arrive. The two had kept a fairly good relationship throughout the course of their travels. They did not ask unnecessary questions or try to butt into the other's intentions. They fought together when it was needed, and saved each other from a few unpleasant experiences. But both of them were quite aware that this truce would not last long. The Shaman Fight could only have one winner, after all.

* * *

It wasn't a traditional birth, not to the Patch at least. The tradition had always been for the mother in question to be assisted by other mothers in the tribe, thus surrounding herself by women of experience. Men were to stay out of the picture, since they knew nothing about birth beyond the part they had to play and would like to keep it that way. They often went out hunting during the birth in order to make themselves seem manlier and unconcerned about the future. The women could handle the baby. That was their purpose in life, after all.

This birth was different, as shown by the level of unease within the Patch people. It was strange enough to be assisting a European, a white-skin, and treating her as part of the tribe, but a ripple of shock ensued when her husband, one of the ten priests, insisted on being present during the birth.

The mothers of the tribe held a conference among themselves, and finally reached the conclusion that men were good for nothing anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to have one there as long as he didn't get in the way. It's not like he could do any harm.

Another thing that bothered them was that one of the fight contestants, another white-skin with yellow hair, offered to deliver the child himself. Having a man present was strange enough, but having a man participate in the birth of a child outright shocked the villagers of the tribe. A man had no more place in a birth than a woman had in a hunt. It just wasn't done. But Hao, the Patch priest, not only allowed it, but insisted on it. The mothers of the tribe reprimanded him, reminding him of his youth and inexperience, but they were met with a glaring look that would make anybody believe that they were staring into the eyes of a powerful man rather than the eyes of a scared new father. The women quieted their bickering and prepared the hot water. In the rough mud building, the new mother closed her eyes tightly and tried to ignore the pain. This would not be an easy birth.

Faust stared down at Ayame with narrowed eyes, calculations and figures and observations jumping back and forth through his mind. Ayame leaned against a mountain of rough blankets, her body covered in sweat and her golden hair in a disheveled state. She was trying to breathe deeply, but would occasionally cry out as another wave of pain seared through her young body. Hao held her hand firmly, and looked expectantly at Faust.

"It's as I expected, I'm afraid." Faust said softly. "Headaches, swollen ankles, early labor," he shook his head. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."

"What you're implying is that she'll die if we don't do something soon," Hao said. "And yet you don't seem to have a solution in mind."

Faust looked steadily onto Hao. He did not like the tone being taken with him. "This condition is extremely rare. I am trying to find the best and safest solution, but one wrong turn could put both mother and child in danger. Which one would you rather lose?"

A fiery look came over Hao's eyes, and Faust immediately regretted having asked that question. He looked down and resumed with his calculations, while Hao went back to holding his wife's hand and letting his enraged feelings simmer along with the rest of his hatred. He would not think about that question, because there was no need. He knew Ayame would be fine, as would their child. Still, as another cry of pain left Ayame's tired frame, Hao had to remind himself why he felt this way.

Faust shook his head. "I must consult my books one more time." He stood up. "Please excuse me."

Ayame took a deep breath as Faust left the room. "My head hurts," she said gently. "My ankles are swollen, and I feel I'm the size of the Great Spirit."

Hao brushed a strand of hair out of Ayame's eyes. "I don't like this at all," he said quietly. "It didn't happen like this the first time."

"I had a different body the first time," Ayame replied. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to suppress another cry. "Hao, if it comes to it, do not choose me."

Hao's eyes narrowed. "Don't say that."

"But—"

"No." Hao squeezed her hand tightly. "No matter what happens, you'll live, Ayame. You and the child. I will not allow you to leave me again."

Ayame opened her eyes and looked at Hao again, her blue eyes filled with tears, but she nodded in understanding. She knew what Hao intended to do should she not survive. She only wished there was a way to talk him out of it. This was no time to argue, though. Another wave of white-hot pain sent another scream of agony from her throat, and Hao could do nothing but watch. It really killed him to see this, but he did not dare to leave his spot. He had missed one birth, and that was enough for him. He kissed Ayame's hand, searching through his mind, trying to remember any spells that would soothe her pain.

Faust returned, his eyes sullen and downcast.

"Nothing, I presume?" Hao asked quietly.

"If only I had access to my library," Faust said quietly. "I have more information there than I could ever get my hands on here." He wiped the sweat off his brow. "We must head into this blindly. There may still be a chance, we just have to be careful."

Ayame's breathing suddenly hastened, and she gave out a cry louder than before. Tears started falling from her eyes. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she looked at Faust.

"Doctor," she said hurriedly, almost shocked. "Is there work to get done? Only I didn't know there was, otherwise I wouldn't be lying here." She cried out again and looked around frantically. "I need…I need to get up. I have work to do." She struggled to stand, but Hao and Faust pushed her down quickly.

"What is happening to her?" Hao asked frantically.

"She's losing sight of where she is," Faust said. "She thinks she's in the past."

Ayame was shaking violently. "Don't let them kill me!" She screamed. "Hao! Don't let them kill me! They're coming, they'll kill us! Please!" She cried desperately, her eyes distant and unfocused. Hao put his arms around her, rocking her back and forth.

"I'm here," he said to her, trying to get through to her. "Ayame, listen to me. I'm here. Nobody's trying to kill you. I'm here. I'll take care of you." He looked at Faust with wide eyes. Suddenly, Ayame cried again, her hands on her stomach.

"It's almost time," Faust said. He looked at Hao. "Keep her down. She'll keep trying to struggle, but right now we must focus on getting the child out of her alive. If she struggles too much, there may be issues."

"No!" Ayame was crying. "No no no! Please! They'll hurt us!"

"How long will this go on?" Hao asked over her cries.

Faust was about to answer, but the birth was starting, and there was nothing left to do except get the child out as quickly as possible. Ayame cried and Hao held her firmly, speaking whatever soothing words he could think of, none of them really getting through. Faust went about his work as efficiently as possible, with the assistance of the other women.

The child was a girl. She was abnormally small, but with a very loud wail. Her skin slightly tanned, and she had no hair. The other women cleaned her off quietly, their gaze sometimes going to her young mother, who now lay motionless on the small bed. Her husband sat beside her, his forehead pressed against hers. Her breathing had stopped, her skin was white, and her eyes were closed. Faust examined her quietly.

"She didn't live long." Faust said. He sat down, feeling defeated. "In the end, only one could be saved."

Hao looked up. "I have never seen anybody suffer like this." He glanced at the Patch woman who now held the newborn child, rocking her back and forth. The baby girl slept peacefully in the woman's arms. Hao stood and went to the woman, taking the child from her, then returned to his seat next to the bed. The other women took this as a sign to leave the room. Hao looked down at the baby for a few minutes in silence, watching her breathe in and out. He looked at Faust. "You're sure there was nothing that could've been done?"

Faust shook his head. "I'm terribly sorry," he said, his voice small. "I would do anything to change that."

Hao stared down at his wife, then at his sleeping child. "Good," he said quietly. "That's good."

Faust's eyes narrowed, deeply confused, but Hao didn't pay attention to him. He stood, laying the child down in Faust's arms, then turned back to his wife, a determined look on his face.

"What are you—?" Faust began to ask, but Hao's actions silenced him. He watched, dumbfounded, as Hao laid his hands on Ayame's chest. He stared down at her, concentrating, and began to mutter under his breath. Suddenly, light started to emit from Hao's hands, and Ayame's entire body began to glow. Faust's eyes widened, almost losing his grip on the baby. Suddenly, the white of her skin went back to a healthy pink. With a great gasp, Ayame began to breathe again.

Hao fell to his knees. The revival had spent a lot of his energy. Faust stared in disbelief as Ayame's eyes snapped open, radiant blue and so, so alive. She turned to him, noticing the child in his arms.

"My baby," she said, her voice a little strained. "Let me see my baby."

Faust, too shocked to speak, handed the child to her. Ayame held the baby girl gently, a small smile appearing on her lips. The baby opened her eyes and looked up at Ayame, waving her tiny hands in the air. Ayame laughed gently, kissing the top of her baby's head.

"She's so beautiful," she said. She looked at Hao, who looked back at her, smiling. "I wish you wouldn't have troubled yourself, my love."

"And spend another five-hundred years without you?" Hao leaned forward and kissed her gently. "Never."

Faust watched this exchange quietly, his mind racing. She'd been dead not two minutes ago. He knew it. He'd checked. He knew a dead person when he saw one. But now…she was alive again. She was living and breathing again. What had Hao done? It dawned on Faust that there was far more to the world than he knew about. There were so many more secrets that he had yet to discover. He had just seen life restored to the dead. It was possible. Revival was possible.

Faust left the room, feeling cramped and overly excited. His mind was running in circles, showing him equations, numbers, figures, possibilities. It shouldn't be possible. What he witnessed should not be possible. There had to be other factors involved. He must have missed something.

But he hadn't. He'd watched the entire thing so carefully. She'd been dead. He was sure of it.

He suddenly considered something else. Hao had said _another five-hundred years. _He had said it plainly and clearly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Faust felt more confusion than he had ever felt in his life.

It was time to have a serious talk with Yohken.

* * *

**Hope you're all having a good summer break. I'm not really doing much. I am taking the SAT and the ACT pretty soon, which I should really be studying for. I'll do that eventually. I'm also going to be applying for an internship, which should be fairly fun. I'm almost a senior in high school! One more year! Woot! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Oh haaaaaaaayyyyyy! So it's the middle of summer and I'm trying to find a job, and it is not working. Still, here I am, still writing chapters. Lucky for you I have a pretty damn good idea on where I'm taking this. Believe me, it's gonna be awesome. And very dramatic. Of course, it can't all be happy love stories and dramatic death scenes, so this is a bit of an action-less in between chapter, but it is still very important…I think. In any case, I hope you're having a great summer, and that your AC actually works, because mine doesn't.**

* * *

Faust paced back and forth, an almost demented look on his usually calm face. He walked quickly to the end of his room, the turned and walked back, all the while muttering to himself, sometimes letting a low laugh cut through. His eyes, once tranquil and meditative now darted around restlessly, hardly seeing the things before them.

Yohken stared at the other man, leaning against the door, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were narrowed as he followed Faust's movements and strained to hear his low words.

"You're sure that's what you saw?" Yohken asked steadily. He saw Faust's body jerk slightly, as if caught off-guard by the question.

"Yes," Faust said, almost frantically. "I saw it. She was dead. Dead as a doornail. But not anymore. She came back. He brought her back." Another laugh. "She cheated death." Faust laughed harder; the manic laugh of a lunatic. He turned to Yohken. "Don't you see? All this time, believing that it all comes to an end someday. That all of us must die. But we are fools to think so. Fools! Every man of science is a fool for thinking that." He laughed harder. "But I am no fool. I saw the demon's work. I saw him raise the dead!"

Yohken scowled at Faust. "You do not understand. Revival is not something you should pursue. It is dark magic, Faust. Humans have no right to play God."

"And yet they do," Faust laughed. "Oh, they do. But this, this is not God's work. It is the work of the devil."

"Faust," Yohken said. "Stop brooding over it. Do not get mixed up with Hao. He'll drag you to Hell when your back is turned. The Shaman Fight—"

"Damn the Shaman Fight!" Faust yelled, causing Yohken and Matamune to flinch slightly. "It is nothing but a game. A pointless game for pointless players. Let that man become the Shaman King! Let him bring upon us a world of shamans! I could not care less." Faust went back to muttering to himself, pacing back and forth.

Yohken and Matamune shared a look. Faust had been like this since returning from the birth of Ayame's daughter. At first they had been unable to get anything out of him except incoherent rambles. It was already very late, but Yohken had stayed up, watching the other shaman with caution. He did not like the words he was hearing.

"Do you think he'll become dangerous, Yohken-sama?" Matamune asked in a low voice.

Yohken's expression remained dark. "I don't know, but we must be careful." He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Hao kills practically every opponent he's up against, but cannot live without his precious little wife. What makes her so much more important than anybody else? Why should she be spared his wrath?"

"It has always been that way," Matamune said. "She is the only person he cares about. Hao does not understand love the way other people do, so he only has enough in him to love her, if you could call it that."

"But she isn't like him," Yohken replied. "She doesn't kill or destroy like he does. She is weak compared to him. What makes her so important?"

Matamune knew why, but he did not say. Even after watching his previous master become a murderer, he could not bring himself to tell his secret, not even to his new master, whom he trusted and cared about dearly. If Yohken, or any of the other Asakuras, found out that Matamune still had even a smidgen of loyalty towards Hao, he'd be sent to the Great Spirit without question. He was one of the Asakura family's most valued spirits, but he was aware that they regarded him with a certain degree of caution that, to him, seemed slightly unnecessary.

"Perhaps you could get her to talk to you?" Yohken suggested. "You did know her well, didn't you?"

Matamune's eyes widened at the suggestion. He hadn't thought of that. "What makes you think she'll speak to me?"

Yohken stared forward with tight lips, but eventually he spoke again. "As I watch them, I notice the amount of control he holds over her. It's an old-fashioned relationship. She does as he says without question. Do you think she wants to be free of him?"

"Do you?" Matamune asked. Yohken didn't reply. Matamune sighed. "They have certainly changed since I knew them. Hao will do anything to become the Shaman King. Anything."

"Would he kill his own wife?" Yohken suddenly asked.

Matamune looked up at Yohken. He did not know how to reply. Would he? Would Hao destroy the only thing he held dear in order to achieve his goal?

"She'd have to be an obstacle to him." Matamune replied, his voice smaller than before.

"And who says she won't be?" Yohken said bitterly. "As I said, she's not like him. At the very least she has a conscience."

"Yes," Matamune said, feeling defeated. "She'll try to convince him not to hurt anybody else. But she won't succeed." He flexed his paws, claws unsheathing. "And then he might destroy her."

Faust sat down on his bed, resting his head in his hands, rocking slowly back and forth. Yohken watched him solemnly, feeling his own muscles tighten.

"I was raised to destroy Hao," Yohken finally said. "Ever since I was young I've been told what I must do. I've been waiting for this my entire life." He looked up at the ceiling. "Now that the time to act is so close, I question whether or not I could actually bring myself to do such a thing."

"You'll have to," Matamune said quietly. "With my assistance, no less."

Yohken sighed, feeling weary. What a terrible task to have to kill another human being, and even worse when that human was your own ancestor. It kept him awake at night just thinking about having to do it. He couldn't back out now, though. Not with so many lives at stake.

"I have to do it," he said weightily. "I have to destroy him, or else we'll all suffer under his rule." He looked at Matamune. "Go to her. Try to get through to her. Maybe we can still save her."

Matamune nodded earnestly. They looked over at Faust, who now lay in his bed, sleeping. Every so often, his body twitched, as if he were still thinking about what he had witnessed, which Yohken didn't actually doubt. Yohken went to his own bed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling for some time before feeling himself drift into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Ayame's eyes snapped open. She looked around feeling confused, then remembered where she was. She was in the Patch village, in Hao's room. The sun was already well up in the sky, but the air was cool and fresh. Ayame sat up, noticing that Hao wasn't there. Her daughter slept peacefully in a wooden cradle. As Ayame came to inspect her, the little baby opened her eyes and began to wave her tiny fists in the air. Before she could begin to cry, Ayame picked her up and cradled her in her arms, rocking her gently. She sat down and fed her daughter, a small smile on her face.

Before long, the baby was once again sleeping in Ayame's arms. Ayame couldn't keep herself from smiling. The baby was only a few days old, but she was the most precious thing Ayame had ever held. Her eyes were as dark as night, and Ayame already knew that she would grow to become quite beautiful. _So this is it, _Ayame thought with a sigh. _This is what being a mother feels like._

"She's quite beautiful," a familiar voice suddenly said.

Ayame looked up, seeing the spirit of a cat sitting on the windowsill, his two tails waving back and forth in an almost nervous manner.

"Matamune," Ayame said gently. "What are you doing here?"

Matamune sighed a little. He had always liked Ayame. She had never been like Hao's other students, all of them serious, and nervous, and so bent on impressing their master. Ayame had been so calm. She had worked hard from the very beginning for the sake of improving herself rather than trying to impress someone else. She was honest and motivated, and so, so kind. Matamune noticed from the start how calm Hao was around her. They had always just fit together. But Hao had changed so much since that time, and he was dragging Ayame along with him.

Matamune cleared his throat, feeling his paws flex unconsciously.

"What's her name?" He asked, although Ayame knew he was beating around the bush.

"Hao wanted to name her after me, but I thought that was just get confusing," Ayame said. She looked down at the baby and smiled. "So he said that we should name her Hiromi."

"That was your birth name, was it not?" Matamune asked.

Ayame nodded. "I wasn't too fond of it before, and I don't have very good memories from when I was called that. But I do remember the good times, and I cherish those memories, since they made me who I am. I want my daughter to grow up knowing fully well who she is, and I want her to be strong for it. Her name is Hiromi of the Patch."

Hiromi opened her eyes and looked directly at Matamune. She reached out for him, making little gurgling noises.

Ayame smiled. "She likes you."

"I didn't think a baby that young could see spirits," Matamune said.

"All babies can see spirits." Ayame replied. "Most human babies lose the ability as they grow older. Others are able to reawaken the ability when they reach a certain age." She looked at Matamune again. "I know there's something you've come to tell me, Matamune. Your mind is troubled."  
Matamune looked down. "You are as sharp as always, Ayame-sama."

"So what is it?"

"Where is Hao?" Matamune asked.

"I think he's out training," Ayame said, shrugging. "He's been getting a little nervous lately. He doesn't show it, but I know he's uncomfortable. It seems like the Great Spirit is taking too long to start the next round. Nowadays all he does is train." She looked at Matamune sharply. "Is that what you came to talk about?"

Matamune shifted uncomfortably. "I only came because I'm worried." He cleared his throat again, even though, as a spirit, it wasn't exactly possible for his throat to need clearing. "Many people have become aware of Hao's…intentions. Many are getting ready to oppose him."

Ayame's face remained the same. "That is not news to me, Matamune." She stood up and began to walk out of the room, beckoning Matamune to follow. She sat on a mat in another, larger room. Matamune sat across from her.

"I know how foolish you must think me," Ayame said. She sat cross-legged with Hiromi in her arms, rocking the baby gently. "You think that I am oppressed and made to do what I do not want to."

Matamune looked down at his paws. "Yohken and I were worried."

"There is no need to be." Ayame said more gently. "Hao is losing sight of his path. He is becoming consumed by desire. Many people will oppose him, and he'll destroy many of them. It is all true, and it is all terrible. But I know that he will do the right think one day. When the time comes, he will be changed."

"And what if he should destroy you before that should happen?" Matamune suddenly asked.

Ayame stopped talking for a few moments. She had clearly been caught off-guard by the question. She looked down at the child in her arms, deep in thought.

"That is very ignorant of me," she suddenly replied, her voice small. "Thinking that I might be spared."

"But surely he wouldn't hurt you if you don't intend to stand in his way?"

Ayame kept her eyes on the baby, who looked back at her with her large, dark eyes. "That I do not know, Matamune."

Matamune tried to kill the feelings of loyalty he felt towards Ayame. He wanted to help her, but he knew it wasn't up to him to save the Asakura's enemy. But Ayame wasn't like Hao. He had only one goal in mind, a terrible, horrible goal. Ayame wasn't so destructive. She was kind and understanding and she would never hurt anybody on purpose. Matamune looked back at the baby, who, for her part, looked at him with wide, curious eyes. They shared a look for a few moments.

"Leave," Matamune finally said.

Ayame visibly stiffened. She didn't look at him. She didn't respond.

"Ayame-sama," Matamune said, a hint of pleading in his voice. "If you provoke him, even slightly, he won't hesitate to destroy you."

"If I leave he will destroy me," Ayame said gently. "You do not understand, Matamune. Hao needs me. He needs someone to hold on to. If I walk away from him, his rage will only increase. It is not death that I fear. I have died twice already, and I do not fear it any longer. But to lose Hao, the Hao I know, and to be consumed by his hatred would be the worst torture to ever endure." She looked sharply at Matamune. "I will not lose Hao again. I will not have my family torn apart before my eyes again." Her grip tightened a little around Hiromi. "I couldn't bare it."

Matamune looked down once again, defeated. It was no use. Ayame had lost too much to give up the only people she held dear. Her whole life was filled with so much pain and loss. How long would it be before she could live quietly, peacefully, without the fear of losing her family?

"I will leave you, then," Matamune said gently. He bounded towards the open window, leaping onto the sill. He looked back. "Please let me know if you need help of any kind. For old time's sake." With that, he leapt out the window and down to the street below, disappearing amongst the other spirits and shamans that roamed the village.

Ayame returned to her room, laying Hiromi gently in her cradle, then sitting down on the ground with her back against the wall. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply, trying to focus her mind. She'd been having trouble stabilizing herself since the revival. Her appetite had changed, and she didn't sleep for more than four hours a night. She'd taken to meditating a lot, trying to get her body and spirit to agree with each other.

She couldn't concentrate. Usually meditation helped her calm her racing mind and find the answer to whatever conundrum she happened to be facing. Now, it only made her restless. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around, her eyes narrowed. What was there to do in this tired little town? The views were beautiful, and the people were interesting, but she couldn't keep her mind occupied. And Hao didn't like her going out a lot, which sometimes irked her. He always seemed to be gone, training for the upcoming fights. It was her duty to care for the baby.

Ayame felt tired. Not the physical tired fixed by a good night's rest. She felt mentally tired of everything around her. She had spent almost all of this life on the run, going from place to place and hardly looking back. She had seen things, gotten into trouble, and created adventures for herself. She had had _fun._

Now she was here in this unknown village, in an unknown continent, surrounded by unknown people, and for the first time in her life, she was _bored. _She was bored and tired of who she was and what she'd become. She seemed to feel her true age for the very first time.

Ayame's eyes fell on Hiromi's crib, and she suddenly felt a hot wave of guilt. What was she even thinking? Her life didn't matter anymore. Her own needs and desires came after those of her child. She was a mother now.

She had never really figured out the meaning of that before now.

Ayame stood again and went to her daughter's crib. She fell to her knees in front of it and stroked the child's head gently. The baby dozed peacefully.

Ayame heard footsteps in the next room. She gave the child a quick kiss then went to meet Hao. He stood in his priest's uniform, drinking water out of a water skin. Ayame walked towards him and kissed him gently, trying to forget her conversation with Matamune.

Soon, the Patch priests would receive news that four contestants, all from the Seminoa tribe, had been brutally murdered just outside the village earlier that day. They had a very clear idea on who had done it. They all agreed that it was time to take action.

* * *

**I don't know about you, but if I had Hao for a husband, I'd just deal with all the murders and stuff, cuz he seems like he'd be a really cool husband. Or maybe not. I'm not really that sure. If Hao were my husband, we'd drink tea together. And he could make me s'mores. It would be awesome. I'm not making much sense right now, but that's okay. I really should sleep. Sleep is always good. **


	19. Chapter 19

**I've been very good about keeping myself busy this summer. I've gone to concerts, hung out with friends, studied my music, wrote more stories, and I'm still in a deep and incredibly painful quest to find a place who will hire me. So yeah. Summer. Rock on.**

* * *

Hiromi would not stop crying. The one-year-old baby sat on the floor of Xylo's cavern, holding a small, roughly carved, wooden doll. Endless rain pounded over their heads as both Xylo and Ayame did their best to comfort the wailing child.

"I wish it would stop raining," Ayame said gently. "She's never liked loud noises."

"Perhaps if you sing to her?" Xylo suggested. "That usually calms her down."

"Hao does this so much better than I do," Ayame replied, picking up Hiromi and holding her gently. She began to sing an old lullaby she had learned back in Italy. Eventually, as the sound of her voice cut through the pounding rain, the baby girl began to calm down and nestle further into her mother's arms. With a few more notes, the child fell into a deep sleep, and Xylo and Ayame sighed in relief.

"I can't say I blame her," Ayame said. "I've always hated rain. Terrible things always happen."

"The rain is the Great Spirit's blessing to us," Xylo said, almost automatically. She paused for a few moments. "But it can be exhausting sometimes."

Ayame kissed the top of her daughter's head, stroking the baby's cheek. Xylo picked up the wooden toy which had fallen from Hiromi's hand and handed it to Ayame, who tucked it into her dress. Xylo stood and walked to the mouth of the cavern, looking out into the night.

"What do you think is happening now?" She asked gently.

"You know more about it than I do," Ayame replied.

"The Shaman Fight is almost at an end." Xylo said. "After all this time, we finally have our finalists. She looked at Ayame. "Are you relieved?"

Ayame stared forward for a few moments, then shook her head. "I'm very scared," she said softly.

Xylo nodded. "I am too." She went back to sit before the fire, stoking it gently with a long wooden stick. "Hao…he scares me."

"He scares me, too," Ayame said. "Every day, with each fight that he wins, I see him become more consumed, and I know it'll only get worse."

"Ayame…" Xylo said, searching for the right thing to say. She sighed. "There is little I can do. I know Hao has…killed so many since that time with the Seminoans, but even that isn't against the rules of the Shaman Fight. He has won all of his fights fairly, albeit a little gruesomely, but he is a Patch priest. When he kills or destroys another, it reflects badly on us and our principles. I've been keeping the others from taking any sort of action against him, but if he does anything more, they will try to kill him."

"I know," Ayame said.

"Can't you—?"

"Talk to him?" Ayame laughed humorlessly. "He doesn't listen. He stopped listening after my arguments got repetitive. Sometimes…" She paused for a moment, looking down at her child again, who now slept peacefully. "Sometimes I feel like he's tired of me."

Xylo looked at her with wide eyes. "That can't be, Ayame."

Ayame kept her eyes down. "He wants to be the Shaman King." She sighed. "He wouldn't give up the fight for me, no matter how much I asked. I always said that I wouldn't get in his way. I said I would love him no matter what, and support him with anything, but I don't think I can do that anymore. I don't think I can act like everything will work out in the end when his only real love is for destruction." She bit her bottom lip.

"Then what will you do?" Xylo asked gently.

Ayame shook her head. "Face it," she said. "I've been a fool. I thought it would be better. I thought he'd learn from before, but he never learns. He just runs and runs until he can't anymore, and I'm always there to catch him if he falls. I've risked so much for him." A tear fell from her eye. "I gave up everything to be with him, and now…" She held her baby closer to her, finding comfort in her small, reassuring body. Hiromi shifted a little, putting her thumb in her mouth, but remained asleep. "I can't die for him. I won't leave Hiromi like..."

Xylo didn't pry. After having met Ayame, she had soon come to like the European woman. She was strange and foreign, and did not know the Patch customs well, but she was interesting and intelligent, and told wonderful stories. Under the circumstances, the two of them had become great friends, and as the year progressed, as well as the Shaman Fight, they had both come to know the other very well, and they enjoyed each other's company.

But Xylo didn't know the full story. She knew that there was something very strange about both Hao and Ayame. She wasn't clear on how they'd met, how long they'd known each other, or anything else, but she did know that she no longer cared. She had learned to view Ayame as a far greater friend than she would've ever thought possible.

"I should go," Ayame said gently.

"Shouldn't you at least wait for the rain to stop?" Xylo asked.

Ayame shook her head. "On nights like these, I'd rather be where I can keep an eye on Hao." She smiled at Xylo with as much honesty as she could muster. "I'll be fine. It's not far."

"Here," Xylo handed her a coat made from buffalo skin. "It won't do to get Hiromi sick." She helped the other woman cover herself in the warm coat. Ayame thanked her and walked out of the cave, feeling the hard drops of rain on her head. It was too dark to see much, but she knew the path well. She walked carefully, holding Hiromi tightly. Soon, she found the steps that led to the little building where she had been living for the duration of the Shaman Fight. She climbed the steps cautiously, trying not to slip.

She opened the door, then shut it quickly against the wind. She sighed, pulling the coat off and letting it fall to the floor.

"Hao," she called gently.

He'd been standing in the other room, staring out the window into the rainy evening.

"Where were you?" He asked, not turning around.

"I went to visit Xylo," Ayame replied. Hiromi had woken up. Ayame sat her on the floor, and handed her a wooden toy. The baby took it, laughing excitedly.

"The final teams were announced." Hao said. He turned around, watching as Ayame played with their daughter. "You weren't at my last fight."

Ayame shrugged. She kept her eyes on the child. The rain still poured strongly over their heads.

Hao looked at Ayame for a few moments. He walked over to her and kneeled down.

"It's past Hiromi's bedtime," he said gently to her. When Ayame didn't reply, he sighed and picked up the baby girl, who squealed in his arms. He took her into their room, placing the baby in her crib and singing a sweet song to her. Before long, the baby began to calm down, and not long after that, she was asleep. Hao watched her for a few minutes, stroking her cheek gently.

Ayame went into the room and sat down on the bed. Hao turned to face her.

"Any reason why you're not talking?" Hao asked.

Ayame looked down at her hands, shaking her head. Hao gave her a soft look. He sat down next to her, taking her hand.

"You look worried," he said.

"I am worried," she replied, barely above a whisper.

"I won't let anybody hurt you," he said. He kissed her cheek. "You can count on me."

"What about you?" Ayame asked. "What about all the people who want you dead?"

"I'll deal with them," Hao replied.

"Hao," Ayame looked at him. She wanted so badly just to tell him. Just to let him know what she really felt, but she couldn't. To win the Shaman Fight was his dream. In the five-hundred years that they'd been together, she had never seen him want anything more than that. How could she get in the way of such a desire?

"It'll all be alright." Hao said. He pulled her into his arms. "Ayame, I know you don't believe me, but I promise that everything will be alright. I'll win the fight, and we'll raise Hiromi, and we'll be happy." He kissed the top of her head. "I promise, I'll protect you this time."

Ayame rested her head on his shoulder. If only they could go back. If only they were back in Japan, back in the Heian era. Back when she was just a naïve student and he her powerful teacher. She wanted nothing more than the ignorance she'd had back then; the trust she'd had for her master. She wanted to close her eyes and go back to her old life.

But she couldn't. She was stuck in the present. She had to face what would come next and hope that it would all end well. She looked up at Hao and kissed him gently.

"You don't need to make any more promises." She said. "We'll find a way."

Hao smiled at her, kissing her again. They leaned against each other, watching their daughter and listening to the last of the rain. Neither of them said anything. They were together. Even after five-hundred years, after pain and loss and hardship; after all that, Ayame and Hao were still together.

What neither of them knew was how soon that would end.

* * *

Ayame had a bad feeling.

The finalists were due to leave for the final battle ground in the next few hours. It was rumored that the last few fights would take place in a lost continent. There, the last twelve contestants would fight until only one remained, and thus a new king would be born. Hao had made it to the finals, as well as Yohken and Faust, and the little boy who had given Ayame the shark tooth necklace. They, along with the Patch priests and Xylo, would travel to the continent together, and the Shaman Fight would finally end.

Hao finished tying his moccasins, then stood to make sure that everything was in order. He strapped on his oracle bell as a final touch and looked back at Ayame, who stood with Hiromi in her arms.

"Do you have everything?" Ayame asked.

"Yes," Hao said. "You've already asked three times."

"I'm just making sure," Ayame replied. "I don't want you to forget anything. Are you hungry?"

"You saw me eat," he laughed. He kissed her forehead gently. "Don't worry about me, Ayame. I'll be back before you know it." He leaned down and kissed Hiromi's head. The baby laughed and reached out for him.

"You better be back," Ayame said, bouncing Hiromi. "Babies don't raise themselves, you know. Just try not to get yourself killed, okay?"

"Absolutely." Hao replied. He kissed her on the lips, closing the distance between them. "Everything will work out."

"You sound so sure of yourself," Ayame said. "Be careful."

Hao smiled at her, then turned toward the door.

"Hao," Ayame said, stopping him before he could leave.

"Yes, my love?" Hao replied, turning back.

"I love you," she said, smiling at him. "Don't forget that."

"I love you too, Ayame," Hao said. "More than anything."

With that, he headed out the door, leaving Ayame in their room, holding Hiromi tightly. It was still stormy outside. For some reason, the weather had been terrible for days now. The rain only paused for a few hours at a time, and still the sun remained hidden.

Hao went with the rest of the priests and contestants to the lost continent of Mu, where the final fight took place. There, Asakura Hao was killed by the hand of his own descendant, Asakura Yohken, and his old friend, Matamune. In the end, the aboriginal boy named Gigi won the Shaman Fight, and the world crowned a new king.

News of the events reached the Patch Village after the body of a young, European woman was found at the base of a set of stairs leading to one of the Patch priests' home. By the looks of it, she had fallen, hitting her head. Her body wasn't found until after the rain stopped. Nobody knew what had caused the fall, or why she'd been out in the first place. On the first clear morning, one of the Patch women stumbled across the woman's body. Inside the house, they found her young daughter, hungry but still alive.

The world had a new king. After the events of the Shaman Fight, the nine remaining priests and the chief returned to their village, tying up loose ends and cleaning up. Before long, everything was back to normal. The child of the final priest, now an orphan, was taken care of by Xylo, for the sake of her friend.

The storms had finally passed, and all was quiet in the Patch Village.

* * *

**Yeah…it was time to move on. I love Hao so much. He's the best character of the entire series, no matter how twisted. I kind of imagine him having had a similar philosophy to Yoh's, until, of course, life screwed him over one too many times and he decided to change his outlook. Still, he's a good guy deep down. He just needs a little encouragement. **


	20. Chapter 20

**So the last two lifetimes are over and I was faced with the challenge of deciding whether Ayame should return, and if so, where to? I was originally just going to have her be part of some small, nondescript family from some remote part of the world, but I decided that wasn't exciting enough, so I decided to do something…more interesting.**

* * *

Revival is not an easy thing. It takes strength and determination, especially if the strength comes from the person being revived rather than an outside source. In order to achieve revival, one must first defeat the 75 Lords of Hell in a ritual called Taizan Fukon. The Onmyoji Asakura Hao was able to not only defeat the Lords of Hell and revive himself, but at the same time, he was able to help revive Asakura Ayame, also an Onmyoji. The final part of the ritual is to defeat the King of Hell, whose power was second only to the Shaman King's. He was the one who judged each spirit and decided what was to become of it. Nobody ever met him twice.

Except for now.

Now, the spirit of Asakura Ayame stood before the King of Hell for the third time. Her appearance had changed, but the King of Hell knew the feeling of every spirit that had ever entered his realm. He looked down at her with curiosity, his massive form towering over the small, seemingly harmless spirit.

_**"The last time you were here," **_The King of Hell rumbled. _**"You were very anxious to get out."**_

"I have grown since then," Ayame replied calmly.

The demon studied her for a few moments. _**"It seems you have. You are older now, but you remain foolish and naïve."**_

Ayame looked up at the demon. Even while sitting down, his head was so far above hers, she almost had to squint to see him clearly. She looked around the cavern. It was empty except for the two of them. It was eerily quiet, the same way the sky is quiet right before lightening hits. Ayame lowered herself and sat cross-legged before the king.

"Has Hao passed by here?"

The King of Hell darkened. His eyebrows narrowed considerably and his jaw tightened. _**"The man with the soul of fire," **_he seethed. _**"Has surpassed me again." **_

"That doesn't surprise me," Ayame replied. "He lost the fight again. A new king has been crowned. That means he'll be participating in the next tournament."

_**"That man is nothing but a disgusting human," **_the king said. _**"He does not know how to take defeat. Instead he keeps trying and trying and does not care if he dies. He thinks he is entitled to be that way simply because he is powerful. But he is a fool. He is the very embodiment of humanity: selfish and filthy."**_

"He thinks he can purify the universe," Ayame said with a shrug. "He will not admit defeat until he has won."

_**"And you intend to help him?"**_

Ayame looked down at the ground, drawing patterns with her fingers. "I'm here by accident. It wasn't supposed to be this way." She looked back at the demon. "I am at the cross-roads. I could choose to go back to Earth and try once again. Or I could stay here and wither away in my own despair. That is why you've put me in Hell so many times, is it not?"

_**"You misunderstand," **_the King of Hell replied, his voice shaking the ground below them. _**"You are here of your own volition."**_

Ayame's eyes narrowed. "Why would I sentence myself to this place?"

_**"It is how it works," **_the demon replied. _**"Humans are the only creatures in existence who can feel guilt. People only go to Hell if that's where they believe they deserve to go. I serve as a personification of this practice, but it is not my choice where you end up. You are here because deep inside, you feel like you deserve to be punished."**_

Ayame thought about this for a moment, and realized how true it was. The only person who could legitimately judge her was herself, because she alone knew all of what she was guilty for, at least subconsciously. In the end, it was all up to her. Hell wasn't scary at all compared to the things that went on inside her head. The thoughts she heard, the things she'd witnessed, everything resonating deep within her and weakening her with every passing moment. She was in control of what defeated her and what didn't.

_Is this why Hao is so strong? _She thought to herself. _Is this why his Reishi never seems to bother him?_

_**"What is your choice?" **_The King of Hell asked, rising to his feet. _**"Stay or go. Either way you will suffer."**_

Ayame sat for a few moments longer. "I think…" she looked up again, rising to her feet. "I think I must go."

_**"Fool!" **_The King of Hell yelled. _**"You cannot defeat me with your own power!"**_ He raised his fist, ready to crush her.

"I do not need anybody else's power," Ayame said, raising her hand and completely stopping the demon's fist. The King of Hell's eyes widened, jumping back in fear. He looked at his hand, realizing that it was now gone, leaving only a stump, a surge of electrical power, and lots of blood. He looked back at Ayame, his eyes wide with fear.

"I need only my own power," Ayame said, going towards the demon. "Because I am in control here."

* * *

_**1985**_

Echo felt a kick in her abdomen. Her eyes widened. This was the first time the baby inside of her had moved.

A smile spread across her face. "The baby kicked."

Aeon looked up from his book, his eyes wide. "Really?"

Echo nodded, her hand over her stomach. "I think she's eager to come out."

"It's still early," Aeon said, placing his hand over his wife's. "We mustn't rush her."

Echo shrugged. "I know, but I'm so tired of waiting." She looked at her husband. "I want to hold my baby in my arms."

"You will," Aeon said, kissing Echo's forehead. "But you must be patient. Being in Gandhara has taught us to be patient. Now we must put it into practice."

In another part of the temple, a bald, old man sat before a shrine of the Buddha, breathing deeply and muttering a mantra under his breath. He was calm and at peace.

Suddenly, the chanting stopped, and his eyes snapped open. He stared at the Buddha in disbelief. He stood, adjusting his orange robe, and walked out of the room and into a darker chamber. He could see the outline of a woman through a thin curtain. She appeared to be meditating.

"Forgive me, Lady Sati," the old man said. "But I'm afraid I have news."

"What is it, Daiei?" The young woman replied calmly.

"It is about the child that is to be born to Echo and Aeon," Daiei replied.

"Yes, the baby girl," Lady Sati said. "Have you had a vision about her?"

Daiei took a deep breath. "It seems that her body has been chosen to reincarnate Asakura Ayame."

Sati sat very still for a few moments before replying.

"You are certain of this, Daiei?"

"I am, Lady Sati,"

"Bring Echo and Aeon to me." Sati said.

Echo and Aeon shared a worried look after hearing what Sati had to say. They looked back at Sati.

"What are we to do, Lady Sati?" Aeon asked.

"We must first learn what her intentions are." Sati replied. "If Asakura Ayame chose Gandhara as her birth family, then there must be a reason behind it. For that, we must wait for her birth."

"You don't think it was simply an accident?" Echo asked.

Sati shook her head. "Revival is very deliberate. If she is reviving herself, she has full control of where and when she is to be born."

"Then we must accept it." Echo said.

"Are you certain that is what you will choose?" Sati asked.

Echo nodded. "As strange as it is, the baby inside of me is still my own, and I intend to take care of her, no matter whose spirit she holds." She looked at her husband. "I cannot turn my back on a child."

Aeon nodded. "We will do what we can, my lady."

Lady Sati nodded. "Then we shall wait. Perhaps we can learn from this situation."

* * *

All of Gandhara, from its oldest to its youngest members, gathered on the night of Ayame's birth. The night was dark and clear, and the moon shone brightly overhead. The temple was lit with candles and alive with the smell of incense. All was quiet save for the sound of Echo's pained cries.

The baby did not cry when she was born. Her eyes were closed and she hardly made a sound. Sati wrapped the child in a blanket and handed her back to Echo. Outwardly, the baby seemed perfectly normal. Everyone looked at each other, unsure. Was Sati going to do anything?

_I want to thank you for allowing me to come here._ There was a collective gasp from the crowd, as they all seemed to hear the same voice in their heads. _I have always admired the Gandhara._

"I never thought I'd be able to meet such a strong shaman in person." Sati replied. "Was there any reason in particular that you chose us?"

_I like what you stand for, _the voice inside their heads replied. _I have known of the Gandhara for a long time. Your ideals are similar to mine. _

"We would not expect someone who is associated with the great onmyoji to say something like that." Sati said. "But I suppose you can't be blamed for many of the things Asakura Hao has done."

_I cannot say that I support Hao's intent, _Ayame said. _But as he has come back, I wish to be instrumental in preventing his success. I know that we have a common goal. _

Sati shared at look with Daiei, but he gave no sign of anything being wrong. She turned back to the baby in Echo's arms. "Then we will welcome you into the Gandhara, Asakura Ayame. I am Lady Sati, although, because of your power, I believe you already knew that."

_Thank you for allowing me to stay, Lady Sati, _Ayame replied. _I appreciate your kindness._

"Kindness is what this world needs most," Sati said with a soft smile.

* * *

**Yes. I went there. **


	21. Chapter 21

**So, in this chapter, I'll be introducing a few more OCs. I've used some of them in previous stories, like May, but most of them are going to be quite new, so I hope you'll like them. Except, May's become a bit of a no nonsense type of person as opposed to the sweet little thing she used to be. Well, in my opinion, she's kind of a badass now. Also, I'd like to thank you all for the wonderful reviews I've been receiving. It always makes me happy to be able to write for reasons other than my own entertainment, and I love that you guys like this story as much as I do.**

* * *

AJ sang along to the chorus of Sweet Home Alabama, drumming on the steering wheel of her old jeep. Her windows were rolled down and her hair flew in every direction, but she hardly cared. She wore large sunglasses, and a bright blue oracle bell adorned her tanned skin. She sang at the top of her lungs as her jeep flew down the highway.

Suddenly, something in the distance caught her eye. It was like something was glinting in the sun. As she drove closer, she saw a young woman walking on the side of the highway. She noticed that the shiny thing was an oracle bell strapped onto the girl's wrist.

"Well I'll be damned," she said to herself, pulling over next to the girl.

"Need a lift?" AJ asked, looking out the passenger window. "I'm headed to the Patch Village."

The girl peeked into the car. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with curly red hair and bright green eyes. She wore a very simple orange dress that went all the way down to her feet. She carried nothing but a small burlap sack that she slung over her shoulder.

"That's very kind of you," the girl replied, climbing into the car. "I've only ever been in one of these a few times before."

"Your family doesn't own a car?" AJ asked, a bit skeptical.

The girl shook her head. "We do our best to keep the world from being polluted any further. We didn't have technology like this where I was born. I was very surprised at the amount of damage that's been made in the world."

"That's humanity for you," AJ shrugged, pulling the car back into the highway. "My name's Adora Joy, by the way, but everyone calls me AJ. I was born down south to a family of six, and my dream is to make the world a more accepting place for everybody, not just the privileged. And you are?"

"My name is Ayame," the girl replied. "And I like your dream. It's one that everyone should have."

"You got one of your own?" AJ asked.

"My dream is to find peace," Ayame replied. "I've lived far too long to want anything more."

AJ gave Ayame a sidelong look. "Guess there's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"

"You might say that, yes," Ayame said.

AJ nodded. "So, got any idea where to find this village?"

"It's in a desert," Ayame replied. "Would you happen to have a map?"

"Check the glove compartment," AJ replied. Ayame opened the glove compartment and pulled out a map illustrating the entire United States and all of its major highways and cities. She pointed at a spot in Colorado.

"It should be around here," Ayame said. "Hundreds of years ago, this was the home of many ancient civilizations. I don't suppose many of them are around anymore."

AJ glanced at the map as she drove. "I doubt it. Nowadays, Mesa Verde is a popular tourist attraction. It's full of old buildings and stuff. I went there when I was a kid. You're sure that's where the village is?"

"Yes," Ayame said. "I'm quite sure."

AJ nodded. "Well, we're just about to cross into Kansas, and from there it should be a pretty straight shot to Mesa Verde. It should take about a day." She pushed a button on the dashboard, turning on the radio. "Do like any particular type of music? Because if you don't, I'm just going to play hard rock all the way there."

"That sounds fine to me," Ayame replied pleasantly. "I like most types of music."

Overhead the sun shone brightly as the old, rusty jeep flew down the highway with Aerosmith blasting from its speakers.

* * *

Asakura May was not having a good day. Not only had she spent the last month and a half traveling around America with a bunch of guys. In that time, she had been dropped from a speeding airplane, thrown into a the memory of a bunch of ancient dudes, attacked by some British guy, and forced to wait for one of the guys for four days because he just _had _to go snowboarding in the middle of their travels. Now, adding the fact that she had passed out just minutes after finding out that her greatest enemy was in fact her ancestor, and had witnessed her first murder, May was at the end of her rope.

_"Will you join us?" The guy in the turban finished saying. _

_ The group shared a look. Suddenly, Yoh spoke up. _

_ "Hear that, Ren?" He said, smiling. "They're nice people."_

_ May bit her bottom lip. "They look a little suspicious."_

_ "I've seen them before," Ren said. "They're Hao's henchmen."_

_ Lyserg tried to leap forward, a look of rage on his face, but Yoh held his hand out and told him to calm down. "What do you guys want from us?" Yoh asked. _

_ The group of henchmen began to mutter among themselves, saying things like "did you see?" and "interesting." _

_Yoh gave them a blank look. "…what?" _

"_Oh, nothing," the guy in the turban said. "Sorry! You look exactly like him. The resemblance with your great ancestor, our Lord Hao, is unbelievable."_

May sighed. Just another bit of information she would rather not know of. She walked around the Patch Village, trying to clear her head after the incident. She remembered finding the dead end in the labyrinth, then everything had gone black. A bunch of images had popped up in her dream, but none of them seemed incredibly significant to her. Upon waking up, she'd found herself in a strange room with her officiator, Namari, sitting close by. After he explained what had happened, she'd found out where her brother and the rest of her friends were. Apparently another member named Chocolove had joined them, and Lyserg had disappeared. Anna, who had just shown up with Tamao and Manta, was also trying to convince this guy named Faust viii to join the group.

May passed some of the other contestants. Most did not bother to regard her. There seemed to be a mind-your-own-business vibe in the air. In any other situation, she wouldn't have cared, but the rules for the next round had been announced, and May was two teammates short. If Faust didn't join the group, then she could always just be in the same team as Ryu and her brother, but it didn't look like it'd be going that way.

As May turned a corner, she suddenly heard the sound of drumming in the next street. She walked a little further. Her eyes fell on a teenage girl with dark skin and wild brown hair. She wore torn jeans, a tank top, and sunglasses, and she was sitting on the side of the street, banging on metal trashcans with two wooden drumsticks. She had drawn in quite a crowd. A floppy hat had been placed right in front of the trashcans, and people passing by would drop a few coins or even a few bills. May stood with the crowd and listened to the loud rhythm. It was really quite interesting.

The banging ended and the crowd began to disperse. May remained standing there.

"That was pretty good," she said.

"I've got a drum set at home," AJ replied, twirling one of the sticks. "Gotta make do with what they got here. You play?"

May shook her head. "I'm not very interested in music. I'm more of a bookworm."  
"Shame," AJ replied. She stuck her hand out. "Name's Adora Joy. You can call me AJ."

"Asakura May," May replied, shaking her hand.

"You've gotta be the third person I've met with that name," AJ replied. "Some sort of family tradition to compete in the Shaman Fight?"

"You could say that," May replied. "We're a big family with a lot of beef; mostly towards each other. I suppose you've heard of Hao?"

"Dude passed by here with his entourage like ten minutes ago," AJ said, pushing her sunglasses over her head, revealing dark brown eyes. "He looks like you. He your brother or something?"

"Distant relative," May said, leaning against the wall. "I think. It's pretty complicated."

"Sounds like it." AJ replied. "What about Ayame? She one of yours?"

"I haven't heard of her," May replied. "But that wouldn't surprise me. My family's been around for a thousand years. There must be hundreds of us out there."

"Nothing wrong with a big family," AJ said, smiling. "So, you got room in your group for two more? My friend and I are one person short."

May smiled. "Absolutely."

* * *

Ayame stood before the Great Spirit as if greeting an old friend. She took a deep breath as the power of the spirit before her filled her mind. _A thousand years, _she thought to herself, sighing._ What else is in store for me?_

Suddenly, the spirit's power was blocked when a boy appeared before her, covering her view.

"You'll pass out if you stare for too long, you know." The boy said, a pleasant smile on his face.

Ayame smiled back. "Thank you." She said. "It's quite remarkable, isn't it? That all the world's history thrives within it?" She looked at the boy steadily. "It can be quite overwhelming to think about."

The boy laughed. "You seem quite brave. Might I learn your name?"

"What? And I thought Asakura Hao knew everything," Ayame said. She laughed a little, beginning to walk away. "I wouldn't worry about it. I'm just another face in the crowd."

Hao's eyes narrowed, watching the strange girl leave. Usually, he wouldn't approach anyone like that, but he'd caught sight of her staring at the Great Spirit for a very long time. Most people, even fairly strong shamans, couldn't stare at it for too long before either fainting or getting a very bad headache. This girl seemed to be able to look at it without even blinking. She was certainly very interesting. He hadn't felt an aura like that since…

Hao's smile fell, a realization washing over him. _Could it be…?_ He ran after the girl, but when he reached the street where she'd turned, she was gone.

Hao caught his breath. His heart had never beat this fast. All he could think about was that feeling he got; that strange sensation that he knew _exactly _who that girl was.

He had to find her, if only to prove himself wrong.

* * *

"Hey Ayame," AJ said as Ayame approached the other two girls. She signaled towards May. "This little one's joining us."

Ayame smiled at May. "You're an Asakura, aren't you?"

"Wow, I'm famous here," May replied. She bowed. "Asakura May. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ayame-san."

Ayame bowed as well. "Forgive me for the assumption, but you do hold many of the family traits."

"Does that include insanity?" May asked. "Because there seems to be a lot of that going around. How exactly are you related to me?"

"Distant relative," Ayame replied with ease.

"No surprise there," May said with a slight eye roll. "Well, I might as well take you guys back to my group. I technically shouldn't have left. They're probably worried."

That night, after meeting everyone and settling in and eating dinner, the three girls went into the room they would now share for the next few months and began to learn more about each other. They learned that AJ was from Mississippi, had four older brothers and a single mother, and had recently graduated from high school. They learned that May was from Izumo, was one of the top students in her class, and her favorite pastime was reading.

"What about you, Ayame?" May asked, looking at the other girl who now sat at the window sill, looking at the stars.

"Hm?" Ayame asked looking back. "Oh, there's not much to learn about me."

"She's a weird one," AJ said from her place on one of the beds. "She's only been in a car a few times in her life, was raised by monks, and she doesn't know how to use any form of modern technology, not even a toaster. She also knew exactly where to find the Patch Village."

"You're not a fortune teller, are you?" May asked. "That's really not a one-hundred percent accurate way of acquiring information."

"I was an onmyoji," Ayame replied, smiling. "Quite a good one, actually."

"You say that like it happened fifty years ago," AJ said. "But you can't be more than sixteen."

"Seriously," May said. "I've been training since I was three, and I can hardly make an oversoul. How powerful are you?"

"I'm still getting used to how outward people are about their feelings here." Ayame replied, evading the question.

"Raised by conservatives, were you?" AJ asked.

Ayame shrugged. "I was just taught to be polite."

The other two laughed. Ayame raised an eyebrow.

"So I take it your family was a little old-fashioned?" May asked. "Or else you're older than you look."

"I'm quite older, actually," Ayame replied. "In spirit, at least. Although I do like thinking that I'm young at heart."

"That doesn't actually make any sense." May laughed.

"You know what else doesn't make sense?" AJ asked. They looked at her expectantly. Suddenly, she pulled a pillow from behind her back and hit May with it. After recovering from her shock, May picked up her own pillow and went after AJ. The two girls hit each other back and forth, laughing hysterically. They paused, looking at Ayame expectantly, but the other girl, for her part, stared at them with wide eyes.

"You've never been in a pillow fight?" May asked, still laughing.

Ayame shook her head. "You beat each other for fun?"

"You make it sound worse than it is," AJ said. "Nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned pillow fight. Helps you get to know people better."

"I can probably think of a few better ways to become acquainted." Ayame said, once again taken aback by the modern ways of the world. "Most of which don't involve unnecessary nosebleeds."

"You sound like my mother," May said. She tossed her a pillow, which Ayame caught in spite of herself. "Come on. I know you're a pacifist and all, but you're also still technically a kid, and kids learn through fun, right?"

Ayame was about to correct her, since she was, in fact, no longer a child, but for some reason, she couldn't help but feel intrigued by this concept. She had never been part of such a fight before, and the part of her that was still a student desired to learn more about the way that teenagers lived in this era. Apparently beating each other with soft objects was a form of bonding.

Ayame stood and walked forward, then hit May tentatively on the arm. May immediately responded with a much harder blow. AJ joined in, and Ayame began to hit back out of defense. After a little while, the three girls fell back onto the beds, laughing breathlessly. Ayame had never experienced anything like this. In her first and second lifetimes, girls were expected to be calm and collected at all times, even in private. One time, back in Italy, she'd received a beating for laughing out loud in the middle of a church service. Even in her time with Gandhara, she had never acted in such manner.

She loved it.

"So this is what it's like," Ayame said, a smile spreading across her face.

"Welcome to the twenty-first century," May replied, still laughing.

"You're gonna love it," AJ chimed in.

* * *

**I wrote this one pretty quickly. I don't know why, but I'm really excited. I've been thinking to myself what it'd be like to go from living in a fairly medieval era, where there was very minimal technology, to suddenly waking up in the late twentieth century, with cars rushing everywhere and everybody on their new mobile phones and everything being broadcasted on TV. It must be pretty weird. **

** In any case, May is Yoh's little sister and I just felt like there needed to be a character like AJ somewhere in there. I hope you've enjoyed the newness of this so far. I just love how Ayame deals with everything. So, happy 4****th**** of July to any of you patriotic 'muricans out there! **


	22. Chapter 22

**Yay! New chapter!**

* * *

Yoh yawned loudly, adjusting the oracle bell on his wrist. _This is way too early to be training, _he thought as he went down the stairs. All he wanted to do was stay in bed for another couple of hours, but Anna had insisted on starting their training early, and he knew not to argue.

As he stepped out into the street, he noticed one of the girls May had brought back with her a few days ago, Ayame, sitting cross-legged on a bench, staring forward.

"Good morning, Ayame-san," Yoh said, smiling. "What are you doing out so early?"

Ayame blinked, looking at Yoh. She smiled kindly. "Good morning, Yoh-san. I couldn't sleep very well, so I went out to clear my head."

"Is something wrong?" Yoh asked.

Ayame shook her head. "I'm just not used to such crowded places. I spent a lot of time living in a remote temple. It was quite lovely."

Yoh sat down next to her. "It's interesting," he said. "I'm meeting a lot of family members in the Shaman Fight. I guess I should've expected it, though."

"Family can be a strange thing," Ayame said. "Sometimes it's nice to know that you have one, though." She turned to Yoh. "Are you close with your family, Yoh-san?"

Yoh shrugged. "Not very. My grandpa taught me a lot of what I know, but everyone else has always been really busy doing their own thing. This trip to America is the most time I've ever spent with my little sister, May. She's usually really busy trying to keep her grades up. I'm surprised she participated in the fight at all."

"And your parents?" Ayame asked.

"Mom's usually at work or club meetings, and Dad…" Yoh shrugged. "I never really know what's going on with him." He looked at Ayame. "What's your family like?"

Ayame stared forward for a little while, thinking about it. "Big," she finally said. She turned to Yoh, smiling. "And imperfect."

Yoh smiled back. "That's what makes it worth loving."

Ayame looked at Yoh for a few moments. "You remind me of an old friend I once had," she said gently.

"What happened to him?" Yoh asked.

Ayame drew her legs up to her chest, putting her hands on her knees. "He grew up too fast, and changed his view on the world." She looked down at her hands. "He became so convinced that the world is a terrible place, that it turned him into a terrible person." She smiled at Yoh. "But the truth is that kindness is all the world really needs."

Yoh laughed. "You give me too much credit, Ayame-san."

"Yoh!" Both of them jumped a little at the sound of Anna's voice. She was standing in front of them, her hands on her hips. Ayame blinked. _I can't read her mind, _she thought. _Interesting…_

"A-Anna," Yoh said, his face falling. "I was, um…"

"I thought I told you to meet me at dawn." Anna said, her tone cold and eerie. "And instead I find you here flirting with another girl."

"I wasn't flirting!" Yoh said. He tried to explain himself, but Anna wouldn't have it.

"How do you expect to learn the Chou Senji Ryakketsu in two months if you can't even show up to your training on time?" Anna asked, grabbing Yoh's arm and getting ready to pull him away.

"You have the Chou Senji Ryakketsu?" Ayame asked before they could leave.

"You know about it?" Yoh asked, surprised.

Ayame nodded. "I am an Asakura, after all. I do know a few of the family secrets. I also know that that little bump in your pocket is the Futonomitama Sword."

Anna gave her a suspicious look. "How do you know that?"

"Because it was the sword used to kill Asakura Hao," Ayame replied. "And also because it's a national treasure that probably shouldn't be taken lightly."

Anna's eyes narrowed further. "How could you possibly know that unless you were on Hao's side?"

Ayame laughed slightly, then stood up. "I think it's time I found my teammates. You're right, Anna-san. We should start training."

* * *

AJ banged away at her trashcans as the other two girls occupied the open square in the Patch Village for practice. As the upbeat rhythm filled the air, May created what was, in her opinion, the hundredth oversoul of that day. She ran at Ayame, trying to knock her down, but the other girl hardly had to wave her hand before May was thrown backwards and her oversoul was destroyed.

"Again," Ayame said calmly.

May stood up, frustrated. "What the hell?" She threw down the steel fans that she used as a medium, and her spirit, a white tiger, materialized next to her, looking bewildered. "I have been trying again and again. How am I supposed to beat you if you don't even fight me?"

"You have been using the exact same attack over and over," Ayame replied. "In order to fight an enemy, you must be adaptable. You may have gotten this far with what you have, but no two people are the same. You have tried one attack, and it failed. The smart thing to do is to use a different tactic."

"But how am I supposed to know how to fight you if you won't even show me your spirit?" May asked, her voice hitching up a little. "You have a totally unfair advantage. Even AJ showed me her spirit when we met. But you're all secrecy and proverbs and wise-old-man crap!"

AJ looked up at the sound of her name, but continued to bang away. Her spirit, a bright red phoenix, looked on with amusement.

"The spirit as shaman uses does not define their strength." Ayame replied. "If you wish to know the truth, I haven't been using a spirit to defeat you."

May's eyes widened. "You what?"

Ayame shrugged. "You're hot-headed and short-tempered. I don't need to waste my time with high defense when a child could knock you over. Besides, any well-trained shaman would've noticed that my shadow is still fully present."

May picked up her steel fans and ran at Ayame, but to no avail. In what seemed like a flash, Ayame's hand shot out and took May's wrist, twisting her arm and causing her to fall on her butt. Ayame kneeled down, looking at May in the eye.

"You are very strong, May." Ayame said. "But you're expecting your weapons and your spirit to do your job for you. Being a shaman is about more than just being able to create an oversoul. The spirit and the medium aren't important. You are. You just need to find your balance."

"How do you even know that?" May said, scrambling to her feet. "You act like you're so much older and wiser than I am, but you're not! You're just a kid, just like the rest of us. How could you possibly know what the hell being a shaman even means when you've obviously been sheltered your entire life? I mean, I may be weak, but at least I wasn't born with a rock over my head!"

"Um, May?" AJ spoke up. "There's really no need for that, pumpkin."

Ayame remained silent for a few moments, listening to the raging thoughts bouncing inside May's head. It was obvious that she was very frustrated. This was a girl who was used to having things work out for her on the first few tries. But Ayame knew better than anyone that frustration only brought tears and heartache. If this girl wanted real results, she'd have to put a lot of effort into it.

"Take a deep breath, May," Ayame said gently.

May was ready to keep arguing, but she stopped herself. She closed her eyes, taking in the deepest breath she could manage, and letting it out slowly. She sat on the ground, crossing her legs, and breathed for a little longer.

"How do you do it?" May asked in a calmer tone. "How do you fight without a spirit?"

"It might take a while to teach you," Ayame replied. "If you're willing to learn, that is."

"I…" May took another breath. "I'm willing. I want to be stronger."

Ayame nodded. "Have you ever heard of the Chou Senji Ryakketsu?"

May looked up. "That book that Hao wrote? I thought it's been hidden for centuries. How do you know about it?"

"Because she helped me write it."

Ayame turned around, coming face to face with none other than Asakura Hao. Behind her, May stood up, and AJ stopped playing.

"Hello Hao," Ayame said.

"Hello Ayame," Hao replied, smiling pleasantly. "Long time no see."

"You two know each other," AJ asked.

"And what did he mean by 'helped you write it'?" May said, her eyes narrowed.

"I see you haven't told them yet," Hao said.

"All I see, Hao, is that you're interrupting our training." Ayame replied. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a lesson to return to."

"I need to talk to you," Hao said.

"Can't it wait?"

"Absolutely not."

Ayame sighed. She turned back to her teammates. "I suggest you two continue without me. I'll meet you back at the inn later."

"You sure you're going to be okay, hun?" AJ asked. "He don't look too happy."

"I'm sure," Ayame replied.

"You are going to explain yourself when you come back, right?" May asked. "Because you can't just leave your friends in the dark like this."

"I will tell you what you need to know," Ayame said. She turned away and followed Hao. He led her out of the village and into a remote part of the lake. When they were at the water's edge, Hao stopped and looked at Ayame expectantly. His usually smiling face had fallen into one of quiet disapproval.

"AJ's right," Ayame said, still smiling. "You look annoyed."

"What are you doing here, Ayame?" Hao asked.

Ayame shrugged. "The same thing as you, except a little more quietly." She crossed her arms. "Are you so surprised to see me here?"

"But how—?"

"How did I revive myself without your help?" Ayame finished his question. "Well, I was sitting in Hell and I suddenly realized exactly what it means to be self-reliant and assertive. I also learned some new tricks while I was at it."

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Hao asked. There was absolutely no amusement in his voice.

Ayame crossed her arms. "I thought you'd be happier to see me."

"Ayame, I know you," Hao said. "You hate fighting, and you feel too much mercy for your own good. Do you plan on getting anywhere in this fight?"

Ayame was taken aback. "With all due respect, Hao, you _think _you know me. And unless you haven't noticed, I got this far. You know better than anybody that I am just as strong as you are. How else would I be able to revive myself without your assistance?"

"Look," Hao said. "I don't know what you're trying to prove, but this isn't the right place for you. I swear, Ayame, if you get in my way—"

"What?" Ayame asked, cutting him off. "You'll kill me?" She shrugged. "Go right ahead. But if you do that, you should know that you'll have lost me forever. Hurt me, Hao, or any of my friends, and I'll never speak to you again."

"You think you're that important?" Hao asked, his tone darker.

"No, but you do." Ayame replied. She looked at him steadily. "What were you expecting me to do, Hao? Sit around in Hell, sinking further into despair, while you're out here destroying everything in your path?"

"Drop out," Hao said.

Ayame's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me what to do. You think you're powerful enough to keep me in line, but times have changed, and I am not your weak little wife anymore. I have given you plenty of chances to prove that you are more than a rage-filled monster. You have one chance left, Hao. One more lifetime. Make it count."

Hao's hand shot out, grabbing Ayame's upper arm. She flinched slightly. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you right back to Hell."

Ayame's gaze softened as she looked into Hao's eyes. His appearance had changed, but his eyes were the same as they'd been for the part thousand years. They were eyes filled with insecurity, but masked with rage.

"You made me a promise when we got married," Ayame said gently. She pulled herself out of Hao's grip. "Try to remember what that was."

Hao watched her walk away. He had never felt this terrible, at least not in this lifetime. He still didn't know what had happened. He knew nothing regarding her death or their daughter's safety. Had somebody murdered them while he'd been gone? Or had there been some sort of accident? For all he knew, Ayame had survived and lived a long life before her third death. It wasn't likely that he'd know the answer anytime soon. Perhaps he had overreacted.

How could she, though? She had not only revived on her own, but now she was outwardly defying him _and _aiding his enemy. How could he overlook that? Even five-hundred years ago, it would've been perfectly acceptable to beat her or throw her out for such behavior. Now, he couldn't even lay a finger on her.

He wouldn't have been able to beat her anyway. She was right. He couldn't hurt her. It wasn't just that she was probably capable of causing substantial damage of her own, but he _had _promised. More than once, in fact. He couldn't hurt her, even if he wanted to. Hao was not the type to go back on his promises.

Hao took a deep breath. _Fine, _he thought. _If she wants to fight, let her. She'll learn her lesson._

* * *

The room quieted when Ayame entered. From the looks of it, they were in the middle of dinner. Everyone turned to her expectantly. Judging by the thoughts floating around, May and AJ had told them about the early incident with Hao.

"So," Anna spoke up. "Are you going to tell us about Hao?"

"I don't suppose you've heard of personal business?" Ayame responded, sitting at an empty spot and grabbing a plate.

"Hao's been causing us trouble since we got off the Patch Airplane," Ren said, his eyes narrowed. "If you're one of his companions, then you can just leave now."

"I'm not one of his petty followers," Ayame replied.

"Then how does he know you so well?" May asked. "And why was he so angry when he saw you?"

Ayame shrugged. "Because I'm not as mindless as I used to be."

"So you were his follower!" Horo Horo exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"If I were you, I wouldn't jump to conclusions." Ayame said, picking at her food with her chopsticks. "People don't like to be proven wrong."

"Ayame," Yoh spoke up for the first time. "Everyone's concerned that you could be dangerous."

"I am dangerous," Ayame said, looking up. "But I'm also a pacifist. And I'm an honest person. You don't need to worry about me."

"Then what's your relationship to Hao?" Anna asked.

"Oh," Ayame replied. "He's my husband."

The silence that followed was almost eerie. Chopsticks paused halfway before reaching mouths, breaths were held, and everyone stared at the redhead with big, shocked eyes.

"Husband?!" Everyone chorused once the spell had broken.

Ayame continued to eat nonchalantly. "Granted, we got married in a simpler time, back when I was young and naïve and he didn't know that killing people was an option."

"But that…" Yoh faltered a little. "You're a thousand years old?"

"Give or take a few years," Ayame replied.

"Well hold on a sec," AJ said. "If the two of you are married, then why was he so angry with you this afternoon?"

"And why shouldn't we just kick you out now?" Ren added, angrier than before.

"Look," Ayame said. "Hao and I…we're not on good terms. The way he sees it, I shouldn't even be alive right now. And because I am, he's going to go out of his way to make me regret it." She sighed. "Listen, I don't want to pull you guys into anything, but I want to defeat him just as much as you do, and believe it or not, I'm a lot stronger than I look." She looked directly at Yoh. "And I am willing to teach you as much as I know."

After a few moments, Yoh smiled. "Cool."

"That's all you're going to say?" Horo Horo said, bewildered. "Do you realize she could be a spy or something? How do we know she's not going to kill us in our sleep or something?"

"Horo, she just said she's a pacifist," May said, rolling her eyes. "And if she wanted to kill us, we'd be dead by now."

"You're just saying that cuz she kicked your ass," AJ snickered. May threw a mushroom at her.

After that, everyone dropped the subject. Ayame smiled as everyone returned to their own conversations. Even though their thoughts were loud and a little uncomfortable, she was enjoying herself. There was something to be said about having a group of different personalities trying to get along. She laughed along as jokes and stories were told, and for the first time, she talked about her old life without holding back. Strangely enough, it felt nice to tell them the truth. Some of them were still a bit skeptical, but that didn't matter. For the first time, Ayame really felt accepted by someone other than Hao.

_How about that? _she thought to herself, watching Horo Horo and Ren get into yet another pointless argument. _So this is what it's like to make real friends._

* * *

**I think Hao had a hard time adjusting to the modern world. I mean, in terms of marriage and women's rights, the world has changed a lot. Granted, there are many areas that could be improved, and sexism is literally **_**everywhere, **_**but at least there are more laws being passed in order to benefit women and preserve our rights. Hao seems pretty adaptable, in my opinion, but he probably doesn't like having Ayame walk all over him. Not to mention this is the first fight they've had where they haven't immediately made up. You better believe that Ayame's serious this time. Hell yeah she is! Don't nobody mess with Ayame. **_**Don't nobody. **_


	23. Chapter 23

**This chapter took a really, really, really long time to write, and I apologize for that. For one thing, I recently started my new job (hooray!), so I've been very busy with that. Word of advice: don't work at a movie theater. It sucks. I do, luckily, get my first paycheck tomorrow, so I will be buying myself a much needed new pair of jeans, and I will perhaps invest on a few new shirts. This is kind of a slow chapter, too, so I wasn't very eager to write it, but I promise it'll get better.**

* * *

Yoh and Ryu ran past Ayame as she walked through the Patch Village. They waved at her cheerfully, then went on their way. Ayame waved back. She noticed Anna sitting on a bench, a timer in her hands. The short boy named Manta sat with her. Yoh and Ryu paused in front of them, still running in place.

"Three more laps," Anna said. Yoh and Ryu visibly sighed, but continued to run.

"Good luck!" Manta yelled after them. He suddenly spotted Ayame walking towards them. "Hi, Ayame-san!"

"Hello," Ayame replied.

"Shouldn't your team be training?" Anna asked.

"I'm giving them a break," Ayame said, sitting next to Manta. "They get tired easily, and they're still adjusting to the difficulty. How's Yoh taking it?"

"It's hard on him," Anna agreed. "But he's improving."

"I'm glad." Ayame said, smiling. Anna stared forward, her face set into mild disapproval. "I suppose you're still not keen on having me around?"

"Not really," Anna replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "You remind me of Hao. You think you know everything."

"Hm," Ayame said. "I've never had anybody compare me to Hao before." She looked at the blonde girl. "I hope you don't think I'm a threat to your relationship with Yoh."

"It wouldn't matter," Anna said. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh?"

"He's my fiancé."

"Since when does the Asakura family practice arranged marriage?" Ayame asked.

"I thought arranged marriages were common in the Heian era." Manta said.

Ayame nodded. "They were common practice where I was born, but I didn't have a family, and I never actually intended to marry. I suppose the only person who could've had any say in who I married was Hao, and well," she shrugged. "I guess it just happened."

"How did you meet him?" Manta asked.

"I was his student." Ayame replied. "My family…I guess they sort of threw me out when I was seventeen. I'd heard about this onmyoji who was willing to teach students with spiritual potential, so I went to him. We had a very rational relationship. I became one of his best students, so he offered me a place as his assistance. After a while, it just made sense for us to marry."

Ayame saw a look on Anna's face and smiled. Although she couldn't read the blonde's mind, she could tell that Hao was not a subject she liked to discuss. _A past incident, perhaps?_

"I don't see how you could just defy your husband like that." Anna finally said, although she lacked a certain degree of emotion. "A wife's duty is to support her husband and make him stronger."

"I don't think the world could handle Hao if he were any stronger than he already is." Ayame replied. "Besides, I still care about him. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Sometimes I wonder how things would've turned out if Hao hadn't competed in the Shaman Fight to begin with. At least we would've had the chance to raise our children properly."

"You had kids, Ayame-san?" Manta asked.

Ayame nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said, her eyes narrowing a little, as if she was just now realizing it. "A son. I, um, I never really got the chance to get to know him very well. I guess he just grew up and had a life of his own." She took a deep breath. "I…I should go." She stood up, sticking her hands into the pockets in her dress. "I'll see you later." She walked back the way she came, passing Ryu and Yoh again as they began their next lap. She tried to smile at them, but she couldn't.

Yoh and Ryu paused in front of Anna and Manta again.

"Is something wrong with Ayame?" Yoh asked, watching the redhead walk away.

Manta shrugged. "She was just telling us about her first life."

"Quit wasting time," Anna said. "Five more laps."

Yoh and Ryu returned to their running, trying to suppress their complaints. Manta looked at Anna with a nervous expression. Anna was like a sleeping dragon. She could burst into flames at any given moment.

* * *

Ayame sat before Sati as she poured tea into two cups. Sati offered Ayame a cup, and the redhead bowed her head, taking it.

"I was surprised when you came to see me, Ayame," Sati said, sipping her own tea. "I was under the impression that you were comfortable with your new friends."

"I use the term 'friends' tentatively." Ayame replied. "Most of them seem fine with me there, but they know who I am now, and not all of them took it gracefully."

"Were you expecting different results?" Sati asked.

Ayame shook her head. "I knew I'd face difficulty with trying to reach outside of my normal boundaries. I welcome the challenge. But it can be overwhelming sometimes." She looked at Sati steadily. "I seek comfort in you because you are, by my standards, a true friend."

Sati nodded. "I see. Is there something you wish to discuss?"

Ayame looked into her tea, breathing deeply. "I was thinking about my children today." She closed her eyes for a few moments. "Even though I know I must accept my fate and deal with where I am today, I cannot seem to let go of that part of my past. It is as if I have lost something far more precious than the earth itself. And when I think of why it is that those things were taken from me, I…I almost feel hatred towards Hao."

Sati sipped her tea thoughtfully. "I don't suppose Hao was very happy to see you."

"It's not about him," Ayame replied. "I don't want to listen to him justify his actions again. He also threatened to kill me on the last time we spoke."

"Then you must understand that although Hao is guilty for taking you from your children," Sati said. "At the same time, he was responsible for giving them to you in the first place. I'm not a mother, Ayame, but I do know that you would've chosen to have your children the way you did rather than to not have them at all." She touched Ayame's hand with the tip of her finger. "'Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.'"

Ayame met Sati's eyes and nodded. She drank the last of her tea and put the cup down. She stood and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for those words, my friend."

"Do not hesitate to come to me, Ayame." Sati replied, smiling. As Ayame began to walk away, Sati spoke again. "Ayame, hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love. Forgiveness is the final form of love."

Ayame looked back at Sati for a few moments, then took a deep breath and nodded. She continued on her way, feeling calmer than before. She left the building in which the Gandhara was staying, smiling at the other members she happened to pass.

"Good afternoon, Mother," Ayame said, passing Echo, who was walking down the hall, holding the hand of a little boy whose hair was as red as Ayame's. "Hello, Yasuki."

"Onee-chan!" The little boy ran to her, and Ayame crouched so that he could throw his little arms around her neck.

"He's missed you," Echo said, smiling. "Have you spoken with Sati?"

"I just left her," Ayame said, straightening up. Yasuki's hand remained clasped tightly to hers. "I was simply seeking advice."

"Is something wrong?" Echo asked, worry traced in her voice.

Ayame smiled at the thoughts in her mother's mind. Even though Ayame was far older than the woman who had given birth to her in her third lifetime, they still retained a strange mother-daughter relationship that Ayame couldn't help but find a little amusing. She appreciated the care and concerns she received, but it was still hard for her to envision Echo and Aeon as her actual parents.

"Nothing," Ayame replied, stroking her little brother's head. The five-year-old leaned into her, not willing to let go. "I'm just trying to get adjusted."

Ayame had to admire the way in which a mother could look at her child and just _know _that they hadn't spoken the full truth.

"Sati told me you've joined Asakura Yoh," Echo said, changing the subject.

Ayame nodded. "His sister, May, is part of my team, as well as an American girl named Adora."

"They know your identity?" Echo asked, and Ayame could hear a restrained sort of concern in her voice.

Ayame nodded.

"Come now, Echo. You shouldn't bombard our poor girl with questions." They both turned to see Aeon coming down the hall. He was wearing his usual business suit, a strange contrast to the robes that were common among members of the Gandhara. He smiled brightly at Ayame.

"You look good, Ayame." Her father said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "I see you're doing well in the fight. Are you making friends?"

"What's this about not bombarding me with questions?" Ayame replied, though she couldn't fight down a small smile.

"You're right, of course," Aeon replied. "It has been some time since we've seen you, though. And we are curious to know how you're getting along."

"Everything's going well, Father," Ayame replied. "I simply came by to say hello to my family." She looked down at Yasuki. "You may have to let me go, sweetness. I have to go back to training."

Yasuki's grip tightened. "Don't leave, Onee-chan!" He looked up at her, his big green eyes shining with tears. "Please stay!"

"Come now, Yasuki," Aeon said, smiling down at his son. "Your sister will be back in no time. You just have to be patient."

Yasuki looked at Aeon, then back to Ayame. "Really?"

Ayame smiled at him, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. "Really."

Although still a little upset, Yasuki let go of Ayame and instead took Aeon's strong hand, watching as Ayame waved goodbye and walked back out into the village streets. Ayame had never been quite sure what to make of her strange family. Even though they had known her true identity from the moment she was born, they still accepted her and raised her as if she had truly been their first-born child. Ayame had never had this kind of family before. She had always had her father. In every lifetime, there was always a father there to care for her, but mothers were of short supply, it seemed. Good mothers at least. Her first mother had died at birth, and her second mother had been rigid and somewhat uncaring.

Echo was, as mothers went, very kind and loving. She was calm and fair, and she treated everyone around her with the utmost respect. For once in her life, Ayame felt incredibly glad to be in someone else's care, especially one like Echo's.

Ayame returned to the sunlit Patch Village, and walked back to the inn where her team was staying. She entered the lobby. May was lying on the floor, reading a large book. AJ seemed to be deep in conversation with Chocolove. They seemed to be discussing the best genres of music. Ren was polishing his weapon, scowling at Horo Horo, who was napping in a chair, snoring loudly. Yoh sat on one of the low couches, massaging his ankles.

"Hey Ayame," Yoh smiled up at her.

"Looks like Anna finally let you rest," Ayame replied, sitting next to him.

"Yeah," Yoh said. "Did you go see Hao?"

Ayame looked at him. "No, why?"

Yoh shrugged. "Ah, nothing. I was just…no, I guess you're still mad at him, huh?"

"Not anymore," Ayame replied. "I went to see some old friends, since you're curious. My family, in fact. The one from this lifetime, mind you."

"Family?" Yoh asked, but he smiled. "They must've been happy to see you."

"I suppose so," Ayame mused, smiling as well. She turned to look at Yoh. "I wonder, do you think I was too hard on Hao?"

"I thought he was the one who was making all the threats," Yoh answered. "Shouldn't he be apologizing to you?"

Ayame shrugged. "Perhaps we were both wrong."

"Well," Yoh said, his calm, unconcerned tone returning. "It'll all work out in the end."

"Yes," Ayame said, her smile growing. "It does tend to happen that way, doesn't it?"

* * *

"The Patch have made an announcement, Hao-sama," Luchist said, his voice low and collected. "They seem to be planning a celebration of some sort."

Hao, who was busy looking at the stars, replied with a simple "Hm?"

Luchist continued, unperturbed by his master's lack of interest. "It seems they're hosting some sort of celebration for all of the contestants and their supporters as a way to mark the continuation of the fight." He looked down at a flyer he held in his hand. "Music, food, and other forms of entertainment. I don't see why we shouldn't make an appearance."

Macchi looked over Luchist's shoulder at the flyer. "Formal wear? Does that mean we have to wear fancy clothes?"

"As long as there's food, I'm there." Zang-Ching said, a placid smile on his face.

"It'll certainly give us a chance to size up the competition," Zen added.

"Not that we need to," Kana scoffed.

"Still," Turbine said. "There's no harm in a bit of socializing, is there, Hao-sama?"

"Opacho wants to hear music!" Opacho yelled shrilly, her arms raised high over her head.

Everyone looked at Hao expectantly. He turned to them briefly before once again moving his gaze to the stars above them.

"I suppose you're right, Turbine." Hao said lackadaisically. "There's nothing wrong with a bit of socializing."

* * *

**Again, this is just a bit of filler. I wanted you to get a bit of an idea of what Ayame's third childhood was like. In case you haven't already figured it out, Aeon is actually a member of the Gandhara. Echo's just my OC. I've been thinking of what I can do to make Yoh and Ayame's relationship a little more interesting. Not that I'm suggesting anything, but I think there could be a few humorous plot twists ahead. I'm kind of curious to find out what it would be like if Anna and Ayame ever got into a fight. Hm…**


	24. Chapter 24

**This is one long ass chapter, and it took a really long time to write, so I hope you like it.**

* * *

"I don't know about this," AJ said, looking through the flyer again. "Won't having all of us in one place just give everybody an excuse to start fightin' each other?"

"I don't think tensions are _that _high," May replied, pulling another dress out of a pile and holding it up to herself, looking in the mirror. "Besides, most cultures around the world have some sort of mid-winter celebration. The solstice, Christmas, Chanukah…I'm sure that the Patch are using this as an excuse to celebrate any or all of those at once. Unless somebody really despises this time of year, most of us will simply pull a temporary truce in honor of the occasion." She held up two different dresses, on purple and one yellow. "Which do you think I should wear?"

"We also have a very nice selection of red dresses in the back," the Patch saleswoman said pleasantly.

AJ rolled her eyes. "We've been here for an hour already. Just choose the purple one and let's go! I mean damn, girl, some of us have training to get done!"

"I don't see you trying any on," May replied indignantly. "I've never seen you wear so much as a skirt. Don't think you can just show up wearing some sort of back-woods country—"

"I like my back-woods country look, thank you," AJ answered, crossing her arms. "And I will wear what I want. Ain't no one gonna get me to wear one of them frilly things."

"Suit yourself," May said in an airy tone. She stepped into the dressing room, both dresses still in hand.

AJ sighed, staring around the brightly lit boutique. Even though they had found this dress shop right in the middle of the Patch Village, the atmosphere was completely different. AJ had been very comfortable in the village so far, but this place made her a little uneasy.

"What d'you think, Ayame?" AJ asked. "You gonna try on one of them dresses?"

Ayame, who had been inspecting the contents of the shop, held up a short, strapless, silver dress with a heart-shaped top and a slit at the thighs.

"I'm sure I would've been flogged for wearing something this revealing five-hundred years ago," Ayame replied. She looked down at the dress she wore now, which really resembled more of a tunic. It was long sleeved, and the skirt touched the floor. It didn't show off her curbs or make her stand out, but she was very comfortable in it.

"Don't tell me you're backing out of this, too," May said, coming out of the dressing room. She now wore the purple dress. It was spaghetti-strapped, and it reached her knees. She looked in the mirror, looking herself up and down. She smiled at her reflection. "What do you think?"

"I think it looks beautiful on you," Ayame replied, smiling.

AJ rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Seriously, all this pressure we put on girls to look pretty. I feel much better in my old jeans than I do in an expensive piece of fabric."

"Ayame, you should try one on," May said, ignoring AJ's comment. She looked at the saleswoman. "Can we get a few red ones in her size?"

"Red is a color worn in order to attract men," Ayame said as the saleswoman hurried away.

"I know," May said, a smile spreading on her face. "And you're going to look hot once I'm finished with you."

The saleswoman came back with a selection of red dresses. Ayame looked through each of them, her eyes growing at the pretense of wearing something so…inappropriate. She thought back to her days in Heian Japan, when dressing up meant wearing far more layers than usual. Then she thought of her time in Europe, five-hundred years ago. There, it was considered improper to even reveal an ankle. These garments that women wore in this new era were closer to her old underwear than something she would dare to be seen in public in. What had the world come to?

Finally, after rejecting almost all of the dresses, she settled on a more modest design. It was side-draped, and fell just below her knees in beautiful, silky waves. She took it into the dressing room, feeling a little silly, and emerged a few minutes later to the cheers of May and the saleswoman. Even AJ agreed that she looked pretty good. She looked in the mirror, feeling as if she were looking at an entirely different person. The dress hugged her curves perfectly, and it made her look taller and far more graceful. She looked at herself from all angles, trying to find something wrong with it, but it looked so good on her that a smaller, vainer part of her was begging her to keep it on.

"I guess I'll wear this, then," Ayame said, trying to sound as if she was merely settling for it. She didn't want to show that she actually did really, really like it.

May and Ayame bought their dresses, and AJ finally agreed to get a blue maxi dress. "But just this once," she kept saying.

There was a buzz of excitement in the air as the celebration was prepared. Shops throughout the village were decorated with different winter-related ornaments. As May had said, many different cultural decorations could be seen. Christmas trees, Menorahs, and other things that none of them had ever seen before were displayed on shop windows and inns where different contestants were staying.

"It's so strange to see all of these different cultures in one place," May commented as they made their way through the village.

"It'd feel better if there was snow." AJ replied, shouldering her shopping bag. "We used to go up to Vermont every winter to see the grandparents. Christmas ain't right without four feet of snow outside."

They saw Ren, Horo Horo, and Chocolove walking towards them.

"Are you going to get your suits?" May asked them as they paused to chat.

"I already own a suit," Ren said with an air of superiority. "I always keep one on hand for special occasions."

"Bocchama is always prepared," Bason said, appearing behind him and looking at his master with admiration.

"I'm wearing traditional Ainu robes," Horo Horo said with a shrug. "I thought it'd be good to show off my culture."

"You also can't afford anything better," Ren added.

Horo Horo looked at Ren, ready to punch him, but Chocolove stepped in quickly. "We're actually going to find a suit for me." He held his two teammates apart, hardly paying attention as they thrashed at each other wildly. "I've never been to one of these things before. It sounds exciting. Have you guys gotten your clothes yet?

The girls held up their shopping bags. "They're having a sale at this little boutique we found." May said, smiling. "I found the most beautiful dress."

"Shouldn't you be wearing a kimono or something?" Horo Horo asked, finally dropping his attempts to attack Ren. "I thought the point of this was to show our culture."

May shrugged. "I should be allowed to wear a dress if I want to. We are in America, after all. Besides, I always wear kimonos for New Year's."

"What about you, Ayame-san?" Horo Horo asked. "What are you wearing?"

"That's a surprise," May said before Ayame could answer. She grabbed both of her friends' arms and began to steer them away. "Now, if you don't mind, boys, we have some getting ready to do. See you later!"

The three guys watched the girls leave, all three of them rolling their eyes.

May hurried into the inn, the other two girls trailing behind her. As they climbed the steps, they saw Yoh on the ground, attempting to do pushups. From the looks of it, he'd been down there for a while. Anna stood over him, a determined look on her face.

"Anna!" May exclaimed, coming over. "If you don't let him stop now, he'll be all sweaty when we go to the party. You know how gross that would be?"

AJ and Ayame waited for Anna to retort with something cold and rude, but instead, she merely looked down at Yoh. "You can stop there, Yoh." Yoh collapsed to the floor. Anna stepped over him and went towards the exit. "Tamao and I are going to look for dresses. Be sure to shower before you put on your suit." With that, she left the room and walked out of the inn. Yoh remained on the ground for a few minutes, trying to get his breath back. Ayame picked up a water bottle and crouched in front of Yoh, holding it out for him.

"Thanks," Yoh said, pushing himself into as sitting position. "I almost reached three-hundred this time."

"Congratulations," Ayame replied.

"Have you found something to wear yet?" Yoh asked, sounding a little more normal.

"Apparently I'm not allowed to tell you," Ayame said with a shrug. "Your sister seems to have taken it upon herself to improve my appearance."

"Don't worry," Yoh said, smiling. "She has good intentions."

"Ayame!" May called from their room. "Hurry up! Your hair is super thick and it's going to take hours to get done!"

Ayame wondered if this was supposed to be a compliment of some sort as she left Yoh behind and walked into the room she shared with her teammates. AJ was trying to comb down her wild mass of brown hair while May plugged in a straightening iron, then proceeded to pull a gigantic bag full of makeup out of her suitcase.

Ayame had lived for a very long time. She had seen different styles and fashions rise and fall like nations. She had been told from her earliest years what to wear and what not to wear. Still, after a thousand years, she still knew as much about fashion as she did about nuclear physics, which is to say very little, if anything at all. May, on the other hand, talked about it as if she studied nothing else.

"You want to wear the colors that'll accentuate your features," she was saying, looking through her bag. "Not hide them. Too many girls think they'll look beautiful if they cake on as much concealer and bright colors as they can, but that just makes them look powdery and really, really weird. How you wear makeup depends a lot on the shape of your face, the size of your features, and so on."

"How do you know all this?" AJ asked, looking at the pile of makeup forebodingly. "I've never seen you wear so much as a bit of blush."

"My mom stuck me in modeling classes through most of my childhood." May replied with a shrug. "She thought it would help me gain more confidence. I guess it worked pretty well. Now then," she looked at the other two, makeup brush in hand. "Who wants to go first?"

AJ and Ayame looked at each other, both inviting the other to be the brave one. Finally, Ayame stepped forward. May sat her down in a chair. She handed a hair brush to AJ, who began to work the tangles out of Ayame's curly hair.

"Do you think Hao and his gang are going?" May asked conversationally as she began to apply blush on Ayame's cheeks.

"Hao doesn't really like crowds," Ayame replied. "I doubt we'll see him there."

"Well, one can always hope," May said, smiling. "I bet he looks good in a suit."

"Well, I sure hope everybody behaves themselves tonight," AJ said. "I don't want any unnecessary fightin' while I'm trying to have a good time."

"They said they'd be enforcing the drinking age," May said, lining Ayame's eyes. "Hopefully there won't be too many drunks running around. I'd hate to see someone like Ryu or Horo Horo when they're drunk. They'd probably destroy everything in their path."

"Ryu's a good kid," Ayame replied, her eyes closed while May applied eye-shadow. "And Ren's always good about keeping an eye on his teammates. There probably won't be much trouble tonight. I'm actually beginning to feel a bit excited."

"Same here," AJ said. "Sure hope the music's good. But if this turns out to be like my senior prom where they played pop songs the entire time, I'm skippin' out."

"I hope I get asked to dance," May said, a little softer. Her face was a little red, and Ayame knew it wasn't from blush.

"You got someone in mind, sweetheart?" AJ asked, smiling knowingly. "Is that why you bought that fancy dress? Hoping to get some young gentleman's attention tonight?"

"No," May said quickly, clearing her throat. "I just think it would be…nice if I got to dance with someone. It doesn't have to be anybody in particular. I might just ask somebody myself."

"I'm sure plenty of young men will be very interested in you tonight," Ayame said. She didn't mention that she knew exactly who May was hoping would ask her to dance. That would involve Ayame admitting that she could read their minds, and that wasn't really something she wanted to advertise at the moment.

"What will you do if you see Hao, Ayame?" May asked, changing the subject quickly.

Ayame shrugged. "I'm not planning on letting him ruin my evening. Besides, if he'd wanted to talk to me, he would've talked to me weeks ago. I think he's ignoring me, quite honestly."

"Don't worry," May said, smiling. "Once he sees how beautiful you look tonight, he won't be able to resist trying to apologize to you."

Ayame smiled, though she doubted that that would work. Hao had seen the best and the worst of her. She wasn't convinced that a fancy dress and a layer of makeup would change a thing about how he felt at the moment. Still, she let the girls have their fun. Once her makeup was done, May helped AJ finish Ayame's hair, which they put up quite beautifully into a low bun with braids wrapped around it. They wouldn't let her look in the mirror until the other two were done and in their dresses. May curled her hair with the straightening iron. She helped AJ with her hair, which she French-braided down her back. She finished off by putting a slight coat of makeup on AJ, then did her own.

"Will you girls hurry up?!" Horo Horo called up the stairs. They looked at the clock. The celebration would be starting in about fifteen minutes.

"Cool your jets!" May called down. "We're almost ready."

They changed into their dresses, helping each other adjust them. Ayame slipped on a pair of red sandals with a bit of a high heel and, finally, looked in the mirror.

The change was incredible. Now, instead of looking like a weary traveler in an old dress and worn down sandals, she looked like something that belonged on the red carpet. Even though it looked as if she hardly wore any makeup, she could tell that there was a change. Her eyes looked bigger, and her cheekbones were more pronounced. She smiled at her reflection, admiring the red lipstick and the smoky eye-shadow. She felt strange, but very beautiful.

She followed May and AJ down the stairs. The rest of the group stood just outside the inn, adjusting their clothes in the fading light of sunset. Yoh, Manta, Ryu, and Chocolove were all in suits. Yoh wore a gray suit, complete with a vest and a tie. Chocolove's was similar, except his had a blue bowtie which he seemed to be having trouble tying. Ren wore a red and gold Chinese shirt, black pants, and golden shoes, and Horo Horo wore something that resembled a kimono with Ainu symbols all over it. Jun wore a golden, Chinese-style dress, and Tamao blushed furiously when Manta complimented her white sundress. Anna, who looked around her coldly, wore a black dress similar to the one she usually had on.

"You look good," Yoh said when Ayame emerged.

Ayame smiled at him. "As do you, Yoh."

They headed over to the edge of the Patch Village, where a large warehouse served to hold the celebration. The whole place was lighted by glittering lights, and the way that tables and booths had been set up around the perimeter reminded Ayame of a gypsy carnival. A large area had been cleared for dancing. As the group arrived, a fast-paced song in what Ayame recognized as Korean began to play through the many speakers that had been placed around the warehouse, and dancers ran out to jump around and twirl in time to the music. It seemed as if the Patch had tried very hard to not call attention to any particular winter holiday, yet still make the atmosphere as cheerful and wintry as possible.

Ayame remembered having seen many of the people she saw that night around the Patch Village and on the Patch airplane, yet there were some on whom she had never set eyes before. Ryu ran to the dance floor at once, hardly caring that he resembled an angry bull when he danced, and that most of the dancers around him tried to give him a good amount of space. Chocolove joined in when a hip hop song started playing. Horo Horo ran around the booths, sampling different types of food, stuffing his mouth with as much as it could hold.

The others went to look for ways to pass their time, including playing carnival games that had been set up at the end of the warehouse, and trying to dance without looking too self-conscious. Ayame stood near the entrance with May, who was looking at the dance floor with a nervous sort of excitement. AJ had left to find something to eat.

"I've never been to a dance before," May said. "Well, I mean, there were a few school dances, but the teachers were always very strict about how you could dance, and they always played really boring music. We weren't even allowed to wear dresses without sleeves."

"I've never been to a dance like this," Ayame said, watching everyone jump around to a French pop song. She tried to ignore the thoughts of all the people crowded into the same space. It was giving her a bit of a headache. "We didn't really dance in Heian Japan. I went to balls when I lived in Italy, and many gypsy carnivals, but the dancing was far different. More formal, I guess."

"Do you know how to dance, Ayame?" May asked.

"A bit," Ayame said. "I was taught a few basic partner dances, and I used to dance with the band of gypsies I traveled with. I doubt I'll be doing much of that tonight, though. The music isn't right."

"I kind of like it." May said, watching the dancers. "I think it's nice that they're trying to diversify the music."

Ayame didn't reply. May was about to ask if Ayame had heard her, seeing as the music was a bit loud, but then she turned and saw what had kept her from answering. A large group had just entered the warehouse, led, to Ayame's slight disbelief, by Hao. He seemed to have taken the formal requirement quite seriously, since he was dressed quite smartly in a handsome tuxedo, complete with a red tie. He also wore his usual smile, and instead of his Lego-like boots, his feet were covered by black leather boots that shone in the twinkling lights. May and Ayame stared at him, slightly open-mouthed.

Ayame backed up a little into the shadows, sure that she hadn't been spotted yet.

"Damn," May said in an undertone. "He looks hot."

"I didn't think he'd come," Ayame said, feeling a childish panic rising in her throat. "What if he sees me?"

May looked at her friend, laughing. "Ayame, you're not a pre-teen. This is your husband, not the guy in your math class who you have crush on."

"What are you saying?" Ayame asked, still trying her best not to be seen.

"What I'm saying is to show how much balls you have and act like you don't care that he's here." May tried to pull her out of the shadows. "Besides, you look too good to let his presence ruin your night. Just get out there and have fun!"

Ayame took a deep breath. Of course, she was being ridiculous. She was a grown woman, after all, not some premature girl. And she had spent so much time getting ready. Why should she leave now? She hadn't even danced yet, and the music was pretty great. She looked at May.

"You're right," Ayame said, sounding calmer. "This is a celebration, after all. Let's go celebrate."

May smiled, taking Ayame's arm and steering her towards the dance floor. They saw AJ talking to Horo Horo, who was still busy trying to stuff churros into his already too-full mouth, and beckoned her over. She smiled and joined them, and they did their best to dance amongst the throng of people. Pretty soon, Ayame began to enjoy herself. She had never moved this wildly before. The music was fast, but easy to follow, and she started to jump in time to it along with everybody else. It went on like this for a few songs, each from different parts of the world, then they realized just how tired they were getting. They got a few drinks and sat at a nearby table, watching the celebration unfold before them.

"It's kind of great that they're doing something like this," May said, taking a sip from her Coke. "I mean, we're going to be trying to kill each other in less than a month, but it's still nice to get together without any blood-shed."

"I ain't sheddin' blood if I can help it," AJ said. "Sure hope nobody here tries to kill me. That'll be a hard one to explain to Mama if I show up back home as a ghost. She'll kill me all over again."

"I'm sure that that isn't the intention of most of the contestants," Ayame said, swirling the contents of the fruit punch she had purchased.

"Except Hao," May said.

"Yeah," Ayame agreed. "Except Hao."

"What about me?"

The three of them jumped, and May managed to spill her drink down the front of her new dress. Hao stood in front of the table, smiling down at them.

"Ugh!" May said, grabbing napkins and wiping the purple material. She looked at Hao, her eyes narrowed. "You'd better hope this doesn't leave a stain."

"Or what?" Hao asked. Although he sounded quite innocent, the look in his eye caused May's mouth to shut almost immediately. She went back to trying to get the syrupy drink off her dress, a dejected look on her face.

"Well," AJ said, looking Hao up and down. "You clean up good, pretty boy. Anything we can help you with before you go back on your pretty little way?"

"As a matter of fact, Adora, there was something I wanted, yes." Hao looked at the three of them in turn, his eyes soon coming to rest on Ayame. "I was hoping I could have the next dance."

Ayame glared up at him, not even attempting to conceal the rage she felt. Even though she hadn't been the one to have her dress ruined, a part of her still wanted to slap Hao and demand for him to buy May a new dress anyway. Of course, the dress may have just been a reflection of her other feelings rather than the actual issue. Still, the fact that he had come here, all charm and smiles, without even a hint of guilt on his face, and demanded for her to dance with him made her insides burn.

AJ and Ayame shared a look before AJ stood and led May to the nearest restroom. May's eyes had begun to brim with tears. Ayame looked back at Hao.

"That wasn't very nice, you know." Ayame said, still sitting.

Hao sat next to her. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Ayame's hands balled into fists, and she desperately tried to think of the things Sati had said to her when they'd last met. "This is her first real dance, Hao. It means more to her than you could ever know. She wanted it to be perfect. Now you've ruined that for her."

"You're taking it a little more personally than you usually would, Ayame." Hao said, a hint of annoyance tracing his voice. "What's it to you, anyway?"

Ayame crossed her arms. "Go away, Hao."

"Not until you dance with me," Hao replied, standing again. He held a hand out for her. "Just one dance, Ayame."

"You're trying to get back on my good side, are you?" Ayame asked, looking at him through narrowed eyes. "Well, it's not working. Maybe you should try a bit more consideration, and just a tad of humility. And why not add actual honesty while we're at it?" She was surprised at the way she was speaking to him, but she didn't dwell on it for too long. It felt very good to be able to say these things to him.

"You're angry," Hao said, looking a bit disappointed.

"Angry?" Ayame stood at this, feelings rising to her throat. "I'm furious, Hao! How can you just treat me this way? First you tell me I shouldn't be here. You even threaten to kill me! You treat my friends with total disrespect, as if they mean absolutely nothing, and all of a sudden you want to make up?" She didn't even care how loud she was being anymore. A few people were staring. "You're not at all the man I remember, Hao. You used to be kind. You used to say that everybody was important. Now everyone is disposable to you! You're despicable!"

Hao grabbed Ayame's shoulders, although his grip was far softer than it had been on the day they'd met for the first time in five-hundred years. He looked down at Ayame, his smile now gone. He looked into Ayame's eyes steadily, though he did not seem to have any anger or disappointment in them at all. He simply looked at her, waiting for her to calm down. Ayame looked up at him, her eyes still flashing angrily. Neither spoke for a few moments.

"I know I've changed." Hao finally said, though his voice was gentle and only loud enough for Ayame to hear. "I know I'm not who I used to be, and I'm so sorry that I've hurt you."

Ayame didn't reply for a while. She dropped his eyes and stared past him instead. His hands caressed her arms tenderly as they traveled down to take her hands, which he held gently, waiting for her to speak. _There it is, _she thought bitterly. _There's the apology you've been waiting for. So now what? You can't just accept it and take him back. Not after all he's put you through. Maybe if you slapped him, you'd be even. Go on, then! Slap him! _

She couldn't bring herself to do it, though. She took another breath and looked back at him.

"You think that's all it takes, then?" She asked, though her voice was considerably calmer. "You think you can just say sorry and it'll make it all okay?"

"No," Hao admitted. "But even if you go on hating me for the rest of your life, I just need you to know that I still care about you. I worry about you all the time. Sometimes I wonder how I can even stand to be without you." He looked at her steadily. "I'm not going to force you to do anything, Ayame. I want you to be happy, and if that means that you have to be away from me, then so be it. But please," he squeezed her hand gently. "Can't I have one last dance before that happens?"

Different parts of Ayame's brain worked at a million miles per hour. One part was constantly screaming for her to say no. Another told her that they had never, strictly speaking, even danced together in the first place and he was just being horribly cliché at the moment. And still another was begging to slap him. But another part, somewhat louder than the rest, was flashing memories at her. The day they met for the first time. Their first kiss. Their wedding day. The look on his face when she'd told him she was pregnant. Each new memory made her heart break a little more, but it also made her assess the situation a little differently. She looked at the man standing in front of her in his tailored tux, a hopeful smile on his boyish face, his eyes filled with longing. She looked at him and felt herself break, if just for that moment.

She sighed. "One dance."

Hao's smile widened considerably as he led her back onto the dance floor. Now, rather than the fast music they had been listening to all night, a slower, calmer song was playing. Couples all around were swaying gently in time to the music.

Hao placed one hand on Ayame's waist while the other grasped her hand firmly. Ayame put her other hand on his shoulder and they began to sway like the other couples. She felt rather silly at first. She had been Hao's wife for more years than she cared to count, but she couldn't remember a single time in their life together in which they'd actually danced. Not that this counted as dancing, really.

"You look really good, by the way," Hao said gently, his mouth near her ear. "Red suits you. It makes your eyes stand out."

Ayame tried to ignore the feeling of his breath in her ear, or the warmth of his hand on her waist. She focused on the song that was playing. It was sung by a woman with a powerful voice. The lyrics were, of course, about love. The woman sang about how there was no way for her truly love her man properly unless he let her; unless he stopped trying to hold her down and just let her give herself to him. Strangely, the more she listened, the more Ayame wanted to lean into Hao, and wrap her arms around him. Her pride tried to stop her and tell her that she was being ridiculous, but she managed to knock her pride aside and instead rested her head on his shoulder, her arms now around his neck. They did not speak as they moved, and Ayame paid attention to the lyrics more than ever.

_And if you need me to love you, say, say you do_

_ Oh 'cause baby, baby, baby, don't you know that_

_ I need you…_

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Hao whispered in her ear.

"Don't ruin it," Ayame replied. "I'm still mad at you."

"Whatever you say," Hao said, smiling.

When the song ended, Ayame let go of Hao, if somewhat reluctantly. They looked at each other for a few moments, neither of them sure of what to say next. Finally, Ayame broke the silence.

"So I guess I'll…talk to you later, then," Ayame said, looking down.

"Yeah," Hao said, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

Ayame tried to think of something else to say. Some sort of goodbye, perhaps. But right as she was about to speak again, a wave of pain hit her, nearly knocking her off balance. She had managed to suppress the thoughts of the people around her for most of the night. But now, with her guard down, the thoughts flooded into her mind without restraint. She pinched her eyes shut, and she rubbed her temple.

"Are you okay?" Hao asked, taking a step forward.

Ayame stepped back, shaking her head. "I just…I need some fresh air." Before he could stop her, she left the dance floor and walked towards the entrance, her head pounding. As she reached the door, though, she caught sight of Ren leaning against the wall, glaring at the dancers around him. Ayame took a deep breath, then walked towards him.

"Hey Ren," she said, trying to sound normal. "Would you do me a favor?"

Ren looked at her, his eyes narrowing further. It wasn't so much that they didn't like each other, but they had never actually had a real conversation. It was mostly due to the fact that Ren still distrusted her. She wondered if he'd seen her with Hao. That would only confirm his suspicions of her. But, as the pain in her head doubled, she decided it wasn't really important.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

"Go ask May to dance," Ayame replied.

Ren's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, perhaps to ask a question or to make a comment, but Ayame left him before he could do either. As she reached the door, though, Ayame looked back to see Ren skulking through the crowd, finally reaching the place where May stood. She was looking longingly at the dance floor. It looked as if she and AJ had been rather successful in getting the soda off her dress. Ayame watched as Ren tapped May on the shoulder, his face a bit red, and May looked up at him, her expression brightening considerably. Ayame smiled to herself as they walked onto the dance floor together, then she opened the door and stepped out into the cool night.

She walked for a little while, looking for a place to rest and tend to her headache. She found a bench a few yards away from the warehouse. She could still hear the pounding music, but the thoughts of the people inside were more muffled. She pulled her hair out of its bun, letting it fall loose down her back. She closed her eyes, breathing the cold air gratefully, and thinking about the events of the night.

"Are you okay, Ayame?"

Ayame looked up, not having realized that there was somebody else outside of the warehouse. She looked up to see Yoh walking towards her, a concerned look on his face.

Ayame smiled. "I'm fine. Just needed a bit of fresh air. I haven't seen you all night. How are you, Yoh?"

Yoh shrugged, sitting next to her. "I guess I'm alright. I haven't really done much. I've never really been much of a dancer, and Anna went with Jun and Tamao to who knows where. Still, at least the music is pretty good." He looked at Ayame. "I saw you shouting at Hao. Is everything alright?"

Ayame stared forward for a little while, then slowly shook her head. "I wish it were."

"Anything I can help you with?" Yoh asked.

Ayame shook her head again. "Not really. Not unless you can change the past."

"It'll all work out," Yoh said, smiling. "Just watch."

Ayame looked at him, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Hao used to say that, too. He used to tell me that what will be, will be, so there's no use in worrying." She shrugged. "He's changed a lot since then, I guess."

"I bet he was really great," Yoh said. "If you love him as much as you do."

"He was," Ayame said, looking down at her hands. "He was kind and wonderful. He helped the people around him, and he didn't let his own pain get in the way of things. I never would've believed that he'd turn out to be this way back when I first met him. I never thought he'd be capable of hurting anyone."

"You must've really cared about him."

"I did," Ayame said. "I still do. I worry about him all the time. I wish I could…I could just take his pain away. I wish I could help him, but he doesn't want me to help him. Not in that way, at least." She could feel tears coming to her eyes, but she wiped them away quickly. She cleared her throat, but remained silent afterwards, not sure that she could go on without bursting into tears.

"I think Hao is very lucky," Yoh said gently. "If he has someone like you worrying about him. He shouldn't take you for granted."

Ayame looked up at Yoh, feeling a tear slide down her cheek. She slid towards him, leaning her head on his shoulder and taking his hand in both of hers.

"Thanks," she whispered, closing her eyes for a few moments.

"Don't mention it," Yoh replied softly.

They sat together for a few more minutes, neither of them speaking. They could still hear the music coming from the warehouse, which meant that the celebration was still in full swing.

"How do you feel?" Yoh asked after a few minutes.

"Tired," Ayame replied. She sat upright again, then turned to smile at Yoh. "Thanks for sitting with me, Yoh. You're good company."

Yoh smiled. It wasn't the cold smirk that Hao often wore, but rather a warm grin that seemed to be filled with sincerity. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on Ayame's forehead.

"I'll walk you back to the inn, if you'd like." He said.

Ayame shook her head. "You should go back and find Anna. I'm sure she'd like for you to dance with her."

Yoh looked a little nervous at the prospect, but smiled anyway. He stood and began to head back to the warehouse. After walking a few paces, though, he looked back at Ayame and said, "Ayame, I love Anna." He wasn't smiling anymore, but rather gave her a more serious look. "I've known her for a long time, and she means a lot to me. But if I had a girl like you, I'd do anything in the world to make you happy." With that, he turned around and disappeared into the warehouse, leaving Ayame on the bench just outside the circle of light.

Ayame repeated that comment in her head for a few minutes, wondering what he had meant by it. She knew that there wasn't really any potential for him having feelings for her. They were, after all, related. But the sincerity in the comment still took her a little bit aback. She realized that Hao had said practically the same thing back at the dance.

The door to the warehouse opened again, and at first Ayame thought that Yoh had come back out. On closer inspection, though, she realized that it wasn't Yoh at all. It was Hao.

* * *

**The song that I quoted is Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way." I love it. I've been listening to it a lot over the past few months, and I keep thinking "if I went to a dance, I would want to slow dance to this song." It's really beautiful, so if you haven't heard it yet, YOUTUBE IT! YOUTUBE IT NOW! Seriously, it may even help you picture the scene a little better. I think it's very reminiscent of the situation between Ayame and Hao.**

** I also think that Yoh is one of the sweetest characters in the series. He's so kind and understanding. If I were ever upset, he's the guy I'd like to talk to. His optimism is just contagious. And yes, there is also a subtle RenxOc thing. I hope you approve. **

** So yeah, I hope you're having a good summer, and that you're ready to go back to school/work/whatever else you do during the year. I'm very excited to begin my senior year, although I wish the summer could go for just a little bit longer. **


	25. Chapter 25

Hao looked down at Ayame, his face devoid of its usual smile. He didn't look angry, though. Rather, he looked as if he were surveying the situation, and deciding the best path to take. Ayame sat still and looked expectantly at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Care for some company?" Hao finally asked.

"I thought we'd already settled this matter," Ayame replied off-handedly. "What are you playing at, Hao?"

"I'm trying to prevent you from running after my other half," Hao said bluntly. "He isn't me, Ayame. You should realize that."

"I'm well aware of that," Ayame said, taken aback. "There's no need for an accusation."

Hao looked sternly down at Ayame, and she was reminded of the time when she was still his student and had failed to perform a spell correctly. He hadn't looked at her that way in a long time. She looked down, suddenly feeling silly in her fancy dress and painted face. "What were the two of you talking about?"

"You," Ayame said. "Yoh thinks you shouldn't be taking me for granted."

Hao remained silent for a few moments before responding. "Do you think I take you for granted?"

"I used to," Ayame said, finding the courage to look at him again. "But Yoh said…well, he told me that if he had a girl like me, he'd do his best to make me happy, and I…I think that's what you've always done. But the way Yoh speaks, it reminds of a time when you told me that no matter what were up against, no matter what was trying to hurt us, it would work out in the end."

Hao's eyes narrowed. "I stopped believing that long ago," he said. He turned away from her, beginning to walk away.

Ayame stood up. "Perhaps that's why he's here," she called after him. "To test you."

Hao stopped abruptly. "You think my other half is here to test some ridiculous theory that I personally disproved?" He asked without looking back.

"If you've disproved it, then why are you trying so hard?" Ayame said. "Why didn't you give up a thousand years ago, when you lost for the first time?"

Hao turned back to face her, but any reply he intended throw at her was cut off when she put her lips to his, kissing him for the first time in five-hundred years. He stood, slightly shocked at first, but then let his arms wrap themselves around her slender waist, pulling her towards him. For the first time in five centuries, the two of them forgot the world around them and knew only each other. The feeling lasted for only a moment, though, because soon after, Ayame pulled herself away from Hao.

"Don't question my faith in you, Hao," she said, looking up at him. "There is nobody else in this world who cares about you the way I do."

"Not enough to stay with me," Hao said, though his tone was softer. "And certainly not enough to leave those ridiculous friends of yours behind."

"I'm allowed to have friends if I want them." Ayame replied indignantly. "Look," she sighed. "Neither of us is perfect, Hao. We disapprove of each other, and look for ways to make each other miserable just because we can't face our own anger." She looked at him pleadingly. "But I still love you, Hao, even after a thousand years. After all I've lost, the things I'll never get back…after how much you've changed, I can't say that I'm not still angry with you, but," she stroked his cheek. "It doesn't mean that I care any less about you."

Hao leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. "What I said when we first talked, about me not wanting you to come back…I'm really glad you did, even if you're not on my side." He kissed her gently. "I'm just afraid you'll get hurt…I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"I'm a thousand years old, Hao," Ayame said, smiling a little. "Death doesn't scare me, and neither does this fight. How could you possibly hurt me?"

Hao pulled her close, holding her tightly in his arms. Ayame leaned her head on his shoulder, standing in silence for a few moments.

"Stay with me," Hao said pleadingly. "Just for tonight."

Ayame looked back at the warehouse. The party still seemed to be going strong, since nobody seemed to have come out at all. She looked back at Hao, a small smile on her face, and he smiled back, taking her hand gently in his, leading her away.

* * *

Morning dawned quietly over the Patch Village. Nobody seemed to be awake before ten, and even then, it was well past noon before the regular hustle and bustle of the village had returned. The Patch priests and apprentices were left with the task of cleaning up after the previous night's events. Adults slept off hangovers, while the younger folk stared blearily around, wondering around what time they'd actually managed to get themselves into bed, and why they hadn't bothered to take their clothes off.

May opened her eyes around one in the afternoon. She looked at the clock, confused. Usually, Ayame had them up by eight. Had she suddenly felt enough mercy to give them one day to sleep in?

May turned to see AJ, still in her maxi dress, dozing on the bed next to hers. She looked at the end of the room, but Ayame's bed stood made and empty. She realized with a jolt that she hadn't come back with them the previous night. Had the other girl been gone all that time, or had May simply not seen her while she was asleep?

May rose slowly from her bed, yawning. She and AJ had stayed at the dance until around midnight. She recalled, blushing slightly, how Ren had asked her to dance. It had been the best part of her entire night. It had even made her forget that her dress was covered in soda.

She went into the bathroom and washed her face thoroughly, attempting to get rid of any makeup she had failed to remove the night before. She brushed her hair out and headed downstairs. It didn't look like anybody else was up, and there was certainly no sign of Ayame. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so surprised, though. Ayame often wandered off on her own, saying she had a headache or something.

May heard a door open above her, and she looked up to see Yoh coming down the stairs, dressed in a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt.

"Good morning, Onii-chan," May said. "Or afternoon, rather."

"Morning, afternoon, whatever," Yoh said, obviously with a bit of effort. He yawned loudly. "Is everyone asleep?"

"Yeah," May said. "Why aren't you? You look pretty tired."

"Anna woke me up," Yoh said miserably. "Says I gotta keep my training up. She's trying to get Ryu, too, but he won't budge." He yawned once again. "Why can't I just sleep?" He headed out the door, jogging half-heartedly down the street. May looked after him with pity, but was glad that Ayame wasn't around to make her do any training. She dug around for the book she was reading, settling into an armchair and following the story until her eyes became too heavy to remain open.

She woke up with a start a few minutes later, hearing the door open. She looked over, seeing Ayame trying to walk in quietly. She was no longer in her red dress, but she wasn't in her old clothes, either. She was wearing was looked like a pair of orange sweatpants and a white button-down, which was one of the strangest combinations May had ever seen. Her hair was down, flying wildly around her face, and she was barefoot. She held her red dress and heels in one hand.

Ayame noticed May. They looked at each other for a few moments, something dawning on the younger girl.

"I guess you didn't make it home last night, did you?" She asked.

Ayame looked down at her strange appearance, then back at May. "You won't tell anyone, will you? I mean," she said quickly. "It's not a big deal,"

"No, of course not," May agreed.

"But we may want to keep it to ourselves."

"Yeah, of course."

They looked awkwardly at each other for a few moments before May's face broke into a grin. "So I take it Hao and you aren't fighting anymore?"

Ayame smiled back. "I suppose not."

"Well?" May asked, following her up the stairs. "Are you going to give me details or what?"

"You are far too young to be hearing of such things, May," Ayame replied sternly.

"Ew, gross, not that," May said. "I meant, did you guys, you know, settle anything?"

"Well," Ayame said as they entered their bedroom. AJ was still fast asleep, so she spoke quietly. "We agreed that we should probably just stay out of each other's business, since neither of us is eager to drop the fight."

"You're still going to fight against him?"

"I don't have much choice," Ayame said pulling off her borrowed garments and slipping into her usual, robe-like dress. "Hao's visions are still not something I can abide by, so we made a deal."

"A deal?"

Ayame nodded. "Winner gets all, so to speak."

"So if Hao wins," May surmised. "You just shut up and deal with it?"

"It seems to be the only way for us to remain civil with each other." Ayame sighed. "If we keep arguing about each other's goals, we might as well just call off our entire marriage."

May's eyes narrowed. "I don't know that that makes any more sense," she said. "I mean, you're still married, but one of you wants to destroy humanity while the other wants to save it, but neither is getting in the way of the other for the sake of said marriage, so the two parties remain separate but together?"

"In a nutshell, yes." Ayame said. "Besides, we enjoy each other's company far more when we're not arguing over the fate of the earth."

"It must be hard to have power," May muttered. Ayame cleared up the room a bit, then found a clean towel.

"I think I'll take a shower," she said, still talking quietly so that AJ could sleep peacefully. "And don't worry about training. I think both of you deserve a rest."

May went to her bed and laid back, covering her eyes with her hands. She still couldn't quite wrap her head around what Ayame was doing. Was she still on their side? Was her nighttime adventure simply a one-time deal, or would she continue to see Hao behind everybody else's back?

Before she could think any further, May's stomach rumbled. She went down to the inn's dining area and found that they were still serving breakfast, which was a relief. She made a batch of waffles on the standard hotel waffle maker and poured herself some hot coffee, her mind preoccupied. So what if Ayame wanted to see Hao every once in a while? They were married, after all. It was perfectly normal…right?

"Well, at least someone's finally up," she heard somebody say. She turned to see Ren coming into the room, back in his normal training clothes.

"I'm not the only one," May replied. "Onii-chan's out running, and Ayame's in the shower. How long have you been up?"

Ren poured himself some milk and sat down opposite from May. "Only about an hour. I woke up around nine, but nobody else was up, so I went to train on my own. I just got back."

"Ayame's giving me the day off," May said. The waffle maker beeped, and she went to retrieve her hot breakfast. She returned to the table, passing by to pick up a few packets of maple syrup.

"I noticed her coming in earlier," Ren said, his expression darkening. "I assume she was with Hao?"

May looked at him for a few moments. "I don't know why," she said. "But I feel like we should keep it a secret."

"Why?" Ren asked. "They're married, aren't they? All I want to know is why she doesn't just leave us and go to his side."

"Because she doesn't agree with his ideals," May said. "It's confusing, but I don't think we should penalize her for loving someone, even if he is kind of a lunatic." She shrugged. "She may still be able to change his mind."

"May, if he hasn't changed his mind in the past thousand years," Ren said. "Then it'll be a miracle if it changes in the next few months."

* * *

**If you like this fanfic, then I would appreciate it deeply if you checked out my Harry Potter fic, Puritatem, which I recently began to write. Have a happy end of summer :D**


End file.
